Mikel books FA Cup final ticket with Chelsea, gets yellow card  Uchebo,  Nwankwo also hit the bull’s eye Osaze, Uchebo are  goal  providers Nwofor, Musa, Eneramo see yellow


England

John Obi Mikel(Chelsea): Super Eagles midfielder John Obi Mikel played for all 90 minutes on Sunday in Chelsea's enthralling 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspurs in the second semi finals of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium.The mercurial Nigerian was impressive in the game but got into the referee's bad book in the 94th minute of the game.

Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Blackburn): Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni was in action for 61 minutes on Saturday in Blackburn Rovers 3-0 loss to Swansea at the Liberty Stadium. Aiyegbeni who scored his 15th and 16th EPL goals last week in Rovers 3-2 loss to Liverpool was replaced by David Goodwill in the game which was his 26th game of the season. The Yak has played 2,139 minutes of club football in the current  campaign.

Osaze Odemwingie (West Brom): Taye Taiwo (QPR): Peter Osaze Odemwingie assisted a Graham Dorras 22nd minute goal on Saturday in West Bromwich Albion’s 1-0 home win over Queen’s Park Rangers that had the duo of Taye Taiwo and Nedum Onuoha in the starting line-up. The match was Osaze’s 27th of the season. He has started in 23 of them and still has nine goals his credit. The former Lokomotiv Moscow striker  was missing in WBA’s 4-0 defeat in the hands of Manchester City last week due to injury. Taye Taiwo who weighed in a couple of decent crosses in the game was substituted in the 77th minute by Armand Traore. He has now chalked up 11 EPL appearances for QPR. Osaze has started in nine of the games and came off the bench on two occasions, just as he has been replaced.

The left back has scored once and missed three matches since his arrival in England during the winter transfer window. It was Nedum Onuoha’s 12th EPL game of the season.

Batholomew Ogbeche (Middlebroungh): Former Super Eagles striker Bartholomew Ogbeche was  an unused sub in Middlesborough’s 1-0 away win over Derby County at Pride Park on Saturday. The forward who was a member of the Eagles to the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan has played 17th times for Tony Mowbray’s side in the championship so far.

Kelvin Etuhu (Portsmouth): Kelvin Etuhu played for just 28 minutes before he was replaced by Dean Kitson who went in to score Portsmouth’s third goal in their 4-3 away win over Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium on Saturday. Etuhu has 12 Championship games with one goal to his credit.
Seyi Olofinjana( Hull City): Former Super Eagles midfielder Seyi Olofinjana was an unused sub in Hull City’s 1-1 away draw against Watford at the Vicarage Road on Saturday. Olofinjana has played thrice this season

SPAIN

Sunday Stephen (Numancia): One-cap Super Eagles midfielder Sunday Stephen was missing in Numancia’s 2-2 home draw against Xerez due to the red card he got in the club’s penultimate game against Las Palmas, a 1-1 away at the Estadio de Gran Canaria. ‘Oryan’ has played 23 games for his club this season.

Kalu Uche(Espanyol): Super Eagles attacking midfielder Kalu Uche scored an 80th minute goal on Sunday in Espanyol's 4-0 thumping of third placed Valencia at the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat on Sunday.

The early afternoon kick off was of high-tempo and it produced eight yellow cards. It was Espanyol's first win in six games. Kalu Uche rounded off a perfect afternoon for Mauricio Pochettino's side when he finished Victor Sanchez's fine through ball 10 minutes from time  and his goal was the last for the Andalucians and his fifth of the season. The former Bordeaux midfielder has now played 11 La Liga matches this season.

Ikechukwu Uche,Odion Ighalo (Granada): While the elder of the Uche brothers, Kalu, was on the winning side for his team over the  weekend and capped his performance with a goal , his younger  brother, Ikechukwu, was on the losing side with his team, Granada, against Real Zaragoza, the team he  last played for before being snapped up by Villarreal in the summer transfer window. Ike  Uche was in action for all 90 minutes of the game which was his 30th of the campaign. He has  scored three goals so far in 1,978 minutes of football. His compatriot and former  U-23 striker Jude Odion Ighalo replaced Carlos Martin in the 81st minute of the game which  was his 25th of the season. He has also notched up three strikes this season, but has played  five times less than Uche, chalking up 1,360 minutes of matches for the modest Spanish  side.

BELGIUM

Kennedy Nwanganga (Genk): Nigeria’s Kennedy Nwanganga  was an 89th minute substitute in place of Jelle Vossan on Saturday as his club Genk defeated Anderletcht 3-1. It was Nwanganga’s 19th Jupiler game of the season. The ebony-skinned striker has not scored a single goal in 647 minutes of action this season.

DENMARK

Izunna Uzochukwu, Rilwan Hassan, Jude Nworuh, Sylvester Igboun, Babatunde Collins, Adigun Salami (Midtjylland): The Nigerian quartet of Izunna Uzochukwu, Rilwan Hassan, Jude Nworuh and Sylvester Igboun all started in  Midtjylland’s 2-0 win over OB Odense, the former club of Peter Utaka on Saturday at the MCH Arena.

Uzochukwu and Igboun played for all 90 minutes but Hassan and Nworuh were substituted midway in the game. Their compatriot, Babatunde Collins, replaced Jude Nworuh in the 77th minute while Rilwan Hassan was replaced by Swedish midfielder Jonas Borring in the 87th minute. The sixth Nigeria at the club, Adigun Salami, was an unused substitute.

ISRAEL

Austin Ejide (Hapoel Petah Tikva): Super Eagles goalkeeper Austin Ejide was not listed on Saturday in Hapoel Petah Tikva’s loss to Ironi Ramat Hasharon. The former Gabros goalie has been in goal 32 times this season.

NORWAY

John Chibuike (Rosenborg): Nigeria’s John Chibuike played for 65 minutes on Friday in Rosenborg’s 2-1 away win over Fredrikstad at Nye Fredrikstad Stadion.

The former Enugu Rangers forward was replaced by Rade Prica. Chuibuike has now played four times for his Norwegian side this season  but he is yet to score a goal, albeit he has been yellow-carded once.

POLAND

Ugo Ukah, Princewill Okachi (Widzew Lodz): One-cap Super Eagles defender Ugo Ukah was yellow-carded in the 90th minute in Wizdew Lodz’s 1-1 draw at home against Legia Warzaw. The booking was his seventh of the season. He has now played 20 matches in the Polish top flight and has also been red carded once. The big centre back with Italian passport has played a total of 1,690 minutes this season.

His compatriot, Princewill Okachi, who has two goals to his credit so far this season was a 53rd minute replacement for Mariusz Rybiki. It was Okachi’s 24th game of the season.

Efe Sodje (Bury Town): Former Super Eagles defender Efe Sodje was in action for 90 minutes on Saturday in Bury Town’s 1-0 win over AFC Bournemouth at Gigg Lane. He has played 38 times this season, starting in 37 of them and has scored twice. The Bandana wearing centre back has been yellow-carded eight times this season.

Jonathan Obika (Yeovil Town): Former Tottenham Hotspur trainee, Jonathan Chiedozie Obika, played for 61 minutes over the weekend in  Yeovil Town’s 6-0 bashing in the hands of Stevenage. It was his 22nd league one game of the season. He has four goals to his credit.

GERMANY

Chinedu Obasi (Schalke 04): Super Eagles forward Chinedu Obasi was  not listed for  Schalke 04 against  Bundesliga leaders, Borussia Dortmund at the Veltine Arena on Saturday. Schalke eventually lost the game 1-2.  Obasi has played nine matches and scored once for Schalke this season.

Anthony Ujah (Mainz 05): Former U-23 invitee Anthony Ujah was not listed in Mainz 05’s goalless draw at the Allianz Arena against Bayern Munich who seem to have surrendered the Bundesliga title to Dortmund on Saturday. Ujah has played 12 matches this season for Mainz and has scored twice.

Seyi Olajengbesi (Alemannia Aachen): Former Super Eagles and 3SC of Ibadan defender, Seyi Olajengbesi, played his 28th Bundesliga 2 game of the season on Saturday in Alemania Aachen’s 2-0 loss to MSV Duisburg at the Schawinsland Reisen -Arena. Olajengbesi played for 90 minutes in the game.

Macauley Chrisantus (FSV Frankfurt): Former Golden Eaglets striker and the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup scorer Macauley Chrisantus was not listed in FSV Frankfurt’s 5-0 bashing of Hansa Rostock on Friday evening. The former FC Abuja striker has played 23 times for his German lower division side this season and has eight goals to his credit thus far.

Chinedu Ede (Union Berlin): Nigeria-born Chinedu Ede  was in action for 90 minutes on Friday  as his club, Union Berlin, pipped Eintracht Brasnschweig 1-0. It was Ede’s 28th game of the season. He has scored five times so far.

ITALY


Obiora Nwankwo (Gubbio): Former Flying Eagles and Dream V midfielder Obiora Nwankwo was the Nigerian torch bearer in Italy last weekend when all the Serie A games were postponed. Nwankwo scored a 44th minute goal for Serie B side, Gubbio in a 1-1 draw against Vicenza on Saturday. He was however replaced by Daniel Ragatzy in the 77th minute in his 13th game this term.

HOLLAND

Michael Uchebo,Uche Nwofor,Alex Nkume(VVV Venlo): Former Flying Eagles star Michael Okechukwu Uchebo scored a 20th minute goal on Sunday in  VVV Venlo's 4-2 away loss to Utrecht at the Stadion Galgenwaard. The former Enugu Rangers  striker thus scored what was his second goal of the season in 23 matches. He has started in  11 of those games and missed 15 of his club's games so far. Uchebo's teammate, Uche Nwofor,  came off the bench to replace Yannick Wildschut in the 84th minute and was instantly booked  by referee Danny Makkelie, for a foul which was his second of the season. He has now played  23 times in the Eredivisie this season and has five goals to his credit. The Colombia 2011  FIFA U-20 World Cup star has played a total of 1,211 minutes. Venlo's loss was  their sixth on the bounce.

However, another former Enugu Rangers star Alex Emenike Nkume was not listed for the match. Nkume has played nine  matches this term for the team.

Kenneth Omeruo(ADO Den Haag): Former Flying Eagles defender Kenneth Omeruo who only last Thursday scored his first  Eredevisie goal for his on-loan club, ADO Den Haag, in a 3-0 win over Groningen  was on the losing side on Sunday as ADO lost by the odd goal to Vitesse at the GelreDome, home-gound of Vitesse. Omeruo has thus made six appearances this season for the  Dutch side. He has started in all of the six games but was replaced on three occasions. The  Nigeria 2009 U-17 World Cup and Colombia U-20 World Cup star has one yellow card to his  name. Omeruo has played 533 minutes of football since his temporary move to Holland.

RUSSIA

Obinna Nsofor (Lokomotiv Moscow): Super Eagles striker cum winger Victor Obinna Nsofor played for 63 minutes before being  replaced by Brazilian Maicon in Lokomotiv Moscow's 1-1 draw against Kuban Krasnodar on Saturday. The match was Nsofor's 11th of the season. He has scored just once and has been booked  thrice one of the yellow cards culminating in a sending off. The former Inter Milan and West  Ham United forward has played in 669 minutes so far for the Railway team this season.

Ahmed Musa(CSKA Moscow): Super Eagles winger Ahmed Musa was in action for 22 minutes for CSKA Moscow on Saturday against Zenit St Petersbrough. Musa was brought on in the 68th minute in place of Sekou Oliseh but was yellow-carded  seven minutes after coming onto the pitch. The yellow card was his first of the season in  seven Russian Premier League games, he has started five of them. The former Kano  Pillars and VVV Venlo speedster has one goal to his name so far in 401 minutes.

Emmanuel Emenike (Spartak Moscow), Obafemi Martins(Rubin Kazan): Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike , for the umpteenth time scored one of Spartak Moscow's goals in a 2-0 defeat handed to Rubin Kazan that paraded Obafemi Martins for 31 minutes. Emenike scored in the 82nd  minute, barely eight minutes to go which was his 12th of the season in 18 league appearances.
Emenike has been yellow-carded twice so far. He has been in action for 1,351 minutes this  season. Obafemi Martins replaced Haedo Valdez in the 59th minute of the game. It was  Martins' seventh game of the season. He still has just a goal to show for his efforts.


SWEDEN

Adewale Dauda(Kalmar): Nigeria's Adewale Dauda was an unused substitute in Kalmar's 2-0 defeat to Malmo FF at the  Swedebank Stadium on Friday. It was his first Swedish league game of the season.