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FRANCE vs NIGERIA: click here for Live Match Centre
Moses tries too much trickery, Varane sees stars - 54 minutes
Victor Moses cuts in from the right and just when it's time to pull the trigger, he tries another silly trick and loses the ball. It ends up on the right where it's crossed in for Emenike but Varane is there to defend and takes a blow to the head for his team. He is up and running but looks a bit dazed.
And after that open but wasteful half, we're up and running again
No changes at HT as both teams sense an opening, the only thing missing is a proper finish or a slice of luck. Nigeria have given France an excellent game. For the Les Bleus, Benzema and Giroud need to be more involved in attacks -- the former has been invisible so far.
Nigeria trouble Lloris again - 44 minutes
Emenike from a tight angle - his zipping shot straight at Lloris who then needs to cope with a rebound with Musa bearing down on him. It's cleared but that quite a scare.
Oh my Debuchy! What a miss - 40 minutes
Matuidi gets forward and lays it off for Debuchy who's running towards the box -- his shot wide from an area where you would hit the target nine out of ten times. That is the miss of the match so far.
Odemwingie chance from outside box - 30 minutes
Emenike and Odemwingie with a quick exchange at the edge of the box but the latter's shot is blocked. That was goal-bound. Nigeria getting into danger areas, looking very confident.
Great save Enyeama! 23 minutes
Pogba drives forward and slips Valbuena through on the right before continuing his run. Valbuena finds him with the return ball and Pogba's acrobatic volley is brilliantly saved by Enyeama.
Musaaaaa -- but he's offside! 20 minutes
Emenike puts in a lovely ball for Musa who's roving around the near post and finishes first time. He is probably in line but it's been given offside. That was a FIFA 14 type of decision -- offside for half an inch.
Two freekicks for Nigeria - both wasted, 17 minutes
Odemwingie gets a freekick from a crossing area on the left and finds a teammate free at the far post, the impending header was woeful though. Another freekick follows from about 20 yards out from a shooting position but Emenike hits it high, wide and not so handsome.
Nigeria dominate opening exchanges - 8 minutes
Nigeria have tried to string a few more passes than they normally do. One of their crosses from the right finds its way to Odemwingie but an awkward bounce takes it away from him. France have been cautious at the back so far.
And we've kicked off!
France field probably their strongest starting XI and are up against a Nigerial squad boasting of huge talent in the form of Musa, Emenike, Odemwingie and Mikel. These are two counter-attacking teams which love playing open football. Here we go...
Fact: France have lost 2 of their last 3 World Cup matches against African nations.
France XI: Lloris (c), Debuchy, Evra, Varane, Cabaye, Valbuena, Giroud, Benzema, Matuidi, Pogba, Koscielny.
Nigeria XI: Enyeama; Ambrose, Yobo, Omeruo, Oshaniwa; Mikel, Onazi; Musa, Moses, Odemwingie; Emenike.
7.00 pm: Foreign flags banned as France tightens security for Algeria match
The Riviera city of Nice banned the display of foreign flags Monday as French authorities tightened security ahead of a World Cup match between Germany and Algeria following riots after the last two Algerian fixtures.
Christian Estrosi, the right-wing mayor of Nice, issued a decree temporarily banning what he termed the "ostentatious display of foreign flags" in the centre of the Riviera city, which is home to many people of Algerian heritage.
"Since the start of the World Cup we have sadly seen intolerable behaviour that severely disrupts public peace," Estrosi added. He said the ban would remain in force until the end of the tournament.
Some celebrations of Algeria's historic qualification for the second round of the World Cup spilled over into violence on Thursday with more than 70 people arrested for rioting or looting across France.
That was more than double the 30-odd arrested on June 22 after Algeria's win over South Korea.
The incidents prompted far-right leader Marine Le Pen to call for dual nationality to be revoked on the ground that the fervent support for Algeria reflected a failure to integrate into French society.
Algerians make up France's largest immigrant group, with close to two million people able to trace their roots back to the former colony.
Many hold dual citizenship and attachment to Algeria appears as strong amongst the French-born younger generation as it is amongst older immigrants.
"We are asking everyone to stay calm while celebrating a victory," government minister Harlem Desir said Monday.
"We must not let unruliness spoil what should be a party," he told the LCI television channel, adding that adequate security measures had been put in place to pre-empt a repetition of last week's incidents.
AFP
6.25 pm Uruguay President Jose Mujica slams FIFA leaders as "sons of bitches"
Uruguay's President Jose Mujica has slammed FIFA leaders as "sons of bitches" for banning the country's star striker Luis Suarez over his infamous World Cup bite.
Mujica called the four month ban on all football activity imposed on Suarez for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini "fascist sanctions".
The president made the comments to a state-run TV sports show which asked Mujica his opinion of the World Cup as he welcomed the defeated Uruguayans on their return from Brazil late Sunday.
"Those at FIFA are a gang of old sons of bitches," Mujica said. He gasped and put his hand to his mouth in an I-can't-believe-that-I said-that manner, but smiled.
The journalist asked if he could publish the remark. "For my part, sure," Mujica shrugged.
"I support the president's remarks," added his wife, Senator Lucia Topolansky, who was stood next to him.
"They could have sanctioned him," said Mujica, a 79 year-old ex-guerrila, "but not with fascist sanctions."
AFP
5.45 pm: Greece refuses World Cup bonus
This story is almost too good to be true, but true is appears to be. After Cameroon refused to even head to Brazil without their bonus and Ghana's players forced their association to send $3 million dollars in cash by plane before they took the field for their final game against Portugal, comes some field good stuff from Greece.
Greece were knocked out on penalties by Costa Rica in the round of 16. Reuters
According to the Sport Bible, the team sent a letter to Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras saying they would rather the money be spent on better training facilities.
“We do not want as extra bonus, or money. We only play for Greece and its people," the team said in their letter. "All we want is for you to support our effort to find a land and create a sports centre that will house our National team.”
Given the state of the Greek economy and the hardships the people have suffered thanks to the financial crisis, the team might win over more fans for this move than for reaching the round of 16.
5.00 pm: Another day, another Suarez video
Hey Luis, Don't Bite Me won't be winning any Grammies but as a parody its well worth a watch and a listen.
Meanwhile in Uruguay, Suarez is being defended at the highest levels of power. The country's president, Jose Muigca, told reporters that "We should take sanctions [against Suarez], but not these [FIFA's] fascist sanctions".
He went went on to say that "FIFA are a bunch of old b******s!” and told the reporters they were free to broadcast his remarks.
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