“Se grande problemo.” Lionel Messi uttered the phrase on way to his room after having lunch on the ground floor at the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel yesterday as the enthusiastic fans, photographers and cameramen gathered to capture his photo whenever he is seen in the lobby. The sensational Messi’s conversation with his teammates was interpreted by ... Read more
Football
Messi! Messi!! Messi!!!
Fans, players and organisers alike were awestruck by the sight of the inimitableLionel Messi as the two-time world player of the year set foot on Bangladeshi soil with his Argentina team on Monday. The magical marksman was received with more than a dozen garlands at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as he made his way ... Read more
“Messi, Messi”
Lionel Messi put the ball down patiently, before taking three marked steps back. He wiped his brow and eyed the mass of players lined up jostling for position inside the penalty area a few yards away. He took a deep breath and around him, the ten thousand strong crowd at the Bangabandhu National Stadium all ... Read more
Messi mania grips Dhaka
The look of pure unadulterated joy in Mirza Ahmad’s face said it all. “Can I hug you? Can I?” he asked repeatedly to the beefy Argentinean team member who had kindly volunteered to reward Mirza’s vigil by getting superstar Lionel Messi to sign Mirza’s Argentina shirt. Mirza was the highlight of the fifty odd brave ... Read more
Messi in Dhaka
The Argentina national football team arrived in Dhaka Monday morning ahead of their international friendly against Super Eagle Nigeria scheduled for Tuesday. Led by superstar Lionel Messi, the Argentina team landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:00am, amid tight security
Match sure, all else up in the air
A lack of a decisive decision from the Celebrity Management Group (CMG), the Kolkata-based event management firm that is brokering the Argentina friendly match in Bangladesh is threatening to put the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) in a real mess. “At the moment the only thing that I can say is that the match between Argentina ... Read more
Messi still amiss
With only a week left for the scheduled FIFA friendly between Argentina and Nigeria in Dhaka, the football authorities here made little progress till yesterday in terms of the schedule of the two visiting high-profile teams. The Argentina team are expected to arrive here on September 3 while the Nigerians are scheduled to arrive two ... Read more
Kolkata all geared up
While it is still all very hazy here about Argentina’s arrival and their schedule thereafter, Kolkata is gearing up in full swing for the September 2 friendly between Argentina and Venezuela. Argentine football coach Alejandro Sabella and goalkeeper Estaban Andrada along with 15 officials arrived in Kolkata town yesterday morning heightening the football fever that ... Read more
Sakib can’t wait for Messi
While the entire country is gripped by the Lionel Messi fever with the arrival time of the Argentine superstar looming close, national cricket captain Sakib al Hasan is also not an exception. Sakib, currently Bangladesh’s biggest sporting icon, is a keen follower of Messi, so much so that he even recently switched his support to ... Read more
BFF ball-boys cherish the special occassion
Abu Bakar Siddique never thought he will get an opportunity to see Lionel Messi from so close let alone being involved in a game played by the Argentine superstar in some capacity. But his dream is all set to come true as Bakar, 14, is one of the 16 young footballers selected to work as ... Read more
MU canter past Spurs
Barclays English Premier League MU canter past Spurs Danny Welbeck, Anderson and Wayne Rooney were all on target as Manchester United continued their perfect start to the season with a 3-0 victory over Tottenham at Old Trafford here on Monday. Sir Alex Ferguson once again underlined his confidence in youth with a selection that saw ... Read more
Arsenal agree to sell Nasri
Barclays English Premier League Arsenal agree to sell Nasri Arsenal said Tuesday they have agreed to sell French midfielder Samir Nasri to Premier League rivals Manchester City. In a statement on their website the Gunners said: “Arsenal can confirm that they have agreed terms for Samir Nasri to move to Manchester City
BNS, Fatullah get pass mark from Argentine delegates
Bangabandhu National Stadium and Fatullah stadium got a pass mark from the visiting Argentine inspection team as the match and practice venues respectively for the September 6 international friendly between Argentina and Nigeria. A three-member high-profile delegation from Argentina, headed by assistant coach
National footballers to welcome Messi & Co
Bangladesh national team players will receive the Argentina and Nigeria teams at the airport when they arrive in Dhaka next month for an international friendly, the Bangladesh Football Federation said on Saturday. The BFF has drawn up a detailed plan to welcome the high-profile international teams that boast some of the best known footballers, including ... Read more
Messi to lead team in Dhaka
Want-away Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez was on Friday dropped from the Argentina squad for friendly games against Venezuela and Nigeria by new coach Alejandro Sabella but magical striker Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero have been included in the friendly squads. The former world champions, to be captained by Messi, will play against ... Read more
Arg-Nig tickets on sale
Tickets for the Argentina-Nigeria International friendly match scheduled for September 6 went on sale yesterday at eight branches of IFIC Bank in the capital yesterday. However the sale of tickets did not gather much pace on the opening day as around 250 tickets of the allotted 11000 were sold. Those tickets were of both the ... Read more
Superb Abahani lift Super Cup
Abahani clinched the Super Cup title beating holders Mohammedan Sporting Club 3-2 in penalty shoot-out in the final at the Bangabandhu national stadium on Saturday. Earlier, the stipulated 90 minutes of the game and 30 minutes extra time ended in a 2-2 tie thanks to Abahani’s Ghanaian striker Ntiny Twaunu Frank who restored parity scoring ... Read more
Super Cup grand finale today
Abahani will be looking for revenge when they will face their bitter rivals Mohammedan SC in today’s eagerly anticipated Super Cup final at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. Mohammedan had beaten Abahani 1-0 in the final of the inaugural edition of Super Cup in 2009. This will be the third meeting between the two Dhaka giants ... Read more
Aguero set for debut
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said Sergio Aguero is likely to make his first appearance for the club in the Community Shield against Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday. Aguero has yet to play for his new club since completing a £38 million ($62 million) move from Atletico Madrid last week
Barton handed another chance
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew indicated Thursday that Joey Barton’s career at St James’ Park may not be at an end despite the midfielder’s outspoken Twitter outbursts. The 28-year-old has been placed on a free transfer by the Magpies after his recent criticism of the club on the social networking