NEWS: Brazil In The World Cup Semi-Final Spot, Neymar Carried Off

David Silva’s screaming free kick gave Brazil a 2-1 win over Colombia on Friday to seal a World Cup semi-final place but the favourites saw Neymar stretchered off and captain Thiago Silva suspended for the next clash.

Silva bundled over a Neymar corner kick in the seventh minute to put his country ahead.

But he earned his second yellow card of the tournament in the second half for barging into Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina and will misss the semi-final against Germany next Tuesday.

Luiz stepped up to smash an unstoppable 30 metre free kick past Ospina in the 78th minute. But Neymar was carried off in agony late in the game after a rough challenge from Colombia defender Juan Camillo Zuniga.

NEWS: Super Eagles To Arrive In Brazil On Tuesday For 2014 World Cup

The Super Eagles will arrive in Brazil on Tuesday for the 2014 FIFA World Cup scheduled to begin on June 12, the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) said on Monday.

A statement by Ademola Olajire, NFA’s Assistant Director, Communications, said in Abuja that the team would fly aboard an American Airline flight from Miami International Airport.

It said the team would land at the Guarulhos International Airport, Sao Paulo, Brazil before moving to their base, the Hotel Campiness on the outskirts of Sao-Paolo.

The statement also disclosed that Aminu Maigari, the Chairman of NFA, was already in Sao Paulo, for the 64th FIFA Congress scheduled to hold on June 10 and June 11.

The congress precedes the 20th FIFA World Cup finals which kicks off on Thursday with hosts Brazil confronting Croatia in the opening match.

The statement quoted Maigari as saying in Sao Paulo on Monday that he was satisfied with the Super Eagles’ build-up to the tournament.

“I want to assure Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora that the Super Eagles will not disappoint in Brazil.

“For sure, our people would have wanted the team to win the matches against Italy, Mexico, Scotland, Greece and the U.S. But we drew the first four and lost the last one.

“I have spoken with the Head Coach and he is optimistic that his boys will be ready for the finals.

“The earlier draws and the loss to Team USA have afforded our boys some lessons which will be useful against Iran in the first match and subsequently,” the statement said!

NEWS: Former Coach Christian Chukwu Says 'Keshi Can Handle Eagles Well In Brazil'

Following reactions to the list of provisional players released by Stephen Keshi for the Brazil 2014 World Cup and their subsequent match against Scotland in London, last Wednesday, former national team captain and coach, Christian Chukwu, has called on critics to leave Keshi alone to do his job.

In a chat with our reporter, Chukwu one-time national head coach of the Kenya team hinted that Keshi knows his players better than any body, and therefore he should be left alone to do his job, adding that he would be the one to take the blame should they fail in Brazil.

“A lot has been said about Keshi and the release of the 30- Man provisional world cup list, I think it is time we put the matter behind us and move ahead, after all the final list is not yet out. As a manager of the team, he is more knowledgeable than any of us, he knows his players better than we do, and it is out of place for any person to describe the players he has invited to camp as bench warmers.

“The era of the FA dictating to the coach or giving a list of players to be invited is past. We are not going to play Kano Pillars or Nembe City fc, so our critics must be very careful and mindful of what they say. The World Cup is the highest pinnacle of football event it is not a place to test players, so if the coach has done his work and giving us a list of those he thinks are competent to make the squad so be it.

“On the other hand if he takes Mikel and leave out Obafemi Martins, he has his reasons for doing so. NFF has said they have no hand in it, so let us leave it there and stop raising unnecessary dust about it. England came out with their list; no body killed the coach for dropping some players. It is the coach that will take the blame should the team fail to deliver,” he enthused.

He however warn the players to give good account of themselves and avoid under rating any side, adding that countries coming for the world cup are coming for real business.

“Our boys must not be carried away by names, there is no longer small country in today football, for a country to have qualified for the world cup means that such a country has some thing to offer. So our boys must play their opponents strength for strength and man for man.

Any attempt to look down on any opponent will not mean well for us. People complain of our defense, the problem is not in the defense line up, but the attackers. We are not scoring more goals, what determine the result of any football match is the numbers of goals scored. Our strikers must improve on t6heir goal scoring prowess, that is the area we will have problems. Because if we meet a high goal scoring side, we might run into problems,” he said.