Mikel loses Community Shield with Chelsea, Efe Sodje sees red in League Cup

 Utaka, Nsofor  provide Montpellier and Locomotive assists, Taiwo starts second game

ENGLAND

John Mikel Obi (Chelsea): After the joy and wonder of an Olympic fortnight that will never be forgotten,English football delivered a fiesty opening to the new season on Sunday.Super Eagles midfielder John Mikel Obi played from start to finish in Chelsea’s 2-3 loss to English Premier League champions,Manchester United in the Community Shield at the Villa Park,home ground of Aston Villa.

Mikel had a fairly good game in Sunday’s loss which turned out to be City’s first Shield triumph since 1972 but was yellow-carded in the aftermath of Branislav Ivanovic’s red card.

Efe Sodje (Bury Town): Former Super Eagles defender,Efe Sodje,was red-carded for a dangerous aerial challenge on Saturday in the Capital One Cup as Bury Town lost 2-1 against Middlesborough at the Gigg Lane, home ground of Bury.

The bandana-tying player did not get the marching order last season for his League One side, albeit he was yellow-carded nine times in 3,620 minutes of action. Middlesbrough did not list another Korea/Japan 2002 Eagle, like Sodje, Bartholomew Ogbeche.


FRANCE

John Utaka (Montpellier): John Utaka began his French Ligue 1 campaign on a good note on Friday night when he delivered a good individual performance in Montpellier’s 1-1 home draw against Tolouse on Saturday at the Stade de la Mosson. The Super Eagles striker cum winger played for 90 minutes and provided the assist for Soulaymane Camara’s 34th minute goal.

Last season,the former Portsmouth of England forward played 35 Ligue 1 games, scoring seven goals in 2,969 minutes in total. He was yellow-carded on five occasions but suffered no such fate in his first game of the 2012/13 season.

Onyekachi Apam(Rennes): Super Eagles defender Onyekachi Apam played for only 24 minutes before he was substituted in Rennes’ first game of the season. The former youth international who suffered a lot of injury worries last season was replaced by Ghana’s John Boye. Rennes lost the game against Lyon 1-0.


HOLLAND

Uche Nwofor (VVV Venlo): Former Flying Eagles striker Uche Nwofor played for 79 minutes on Saturday in VVV Venlo’s 1-1 draw against Heracles. Last season,the former Enugu Rangers star played 27 Eredevisie games in total and scored five goals for his team. Nwofor’s Rangers teammate and another Flying Eagles product,Alex Emenike Nkume was not listd for the game.


RUSSIA

Victor Obinna (Locomotiv Moscow): Out-of-favour Super Eagles striker Victor Obinna was replaced on the hour mark as Locomotiv Moscow were forced to a 2-2 draw at home by Alaniya at the Lokomotiv stadium on Saturday. The former Inter MIlan player provided an assist for Roman Pavlyuchenko's 3rd minute opener in his fourth start for the club this season. He was replaced by Felipe Caicedo.

Emmanuel Emenike (Spartak Moscow): Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike played all 90 minutes for Spartak Moscow as they were spanked 5-0 by defending champions Zenit St Petersburg at the Petrovskij stadium on Saturday. The former Fenerbahce striker who has so far scored only one goal in the league this term was yellow carded in the 58 minute in the ill-tempered encounter.

Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow): Super Eagles winger Ahmed Musa played the entire duration in his first start of the season for CSKA Moscow as they pipped Anzhi Makhachkala by a lone goal at the Arena Khimki stadium on Sunday. Musa has so far played three games for his side this term.


UKRAINE

Brown Ideye, Yussuf Ayila, Taye Taiwo, Lukman Haruna (Dynamo Kiev): In-form Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye scored brace in the league for Dynamo Kiev in their 4-1 home win over Volyn at the  NSK Olimpic stadium on Sunday. The former Neuchâtel Xamax and Sochaux hitman has so far scored eight goals in all competitions for the club this term.

His compatriot Taye Taiwo was also handed his second start in the Ukrainian league since joining the club on loan from AC Milan, while the duo of Yussuf Ayila and Lukman Haruna were not listed for the encounter.

Ayodele Adeleye, Jamiu Alimi and Sani Kaita (Tavriya): Super Eagles defender Ayodele Adeleye was benched for the entire duration of Tavriya's lone goal win over Metalurh Zaporizhya last Friday while his compatriots Jamiu Alimi and Sani Kaita were not listed for action. Adeleye has played two games so far this term while Alimi and Kaita are yet to feature for the club this season.

Michael Odibe (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk): One-cap Super Eagles defender Michael Odibe was an unused substitute for Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the 4-1 home win over Hoverla-Zakarpattia on Saturday. He has so far played two games for the Europa league campaigners this term since joining the club on loan from Arsenal Kyiv in the summer.

Babatunde Michael (Kryvbas); Lucky Idahor (Zorya):

Former Nigerian youth international Lucky Idahor played the entire duration of his side's lone goal defeat to Kyrvbas who paraded Dream Team winger Babatunde Michael in the seocnd half of the encounter. It was Idahor's fifth game of the season scoring one goal, while for Michael, it was his fourth game of the season with no goal.


PORTUGAL

John Ogu (Academica): Nigerian midfielder John Ogu made his official debut for his new side Académica in their 1-0 loss to Portuguese champions Porto in the Super Cup last Saturday.

The former Uniao de Leiria player replaced Manuel Afonso in the 71st minute of the encounter. Academica face Beira-Mar in the opening fixture of the league next Monday. He played 17 games and scored three goals last season for Uniao de Leiria.


DENMARK

Sylvester Igboun, Izunna Uzochukwu (Midtjylland): Sylvester Emeka Igboun scored in the 10th minute of Midtjylland’s 2-1 away loss to OB Odense,the former club of Peter Utaka on Saturday at the TRE-FOR Park.

Igboun was yellow-carded in the 86th minute. Izunna Uzochukwu who saw action for 88 minutes wasa himself booked n the 22nd minute and was replaced by compatriot, Jude Nworuh.

NORWAY

Ahmed Suleiman, Chukwuma Anene (Valarenga): Nigerian duo of Chukwuma Anene and Ahmed Suleiman were both in action on Saturday for Valerenga in their 3-1 home win over Odd Grenland at the Ullevaa Stadion,where the Norwegian side drew goaless against Manchester United in a pre-season friendly on August 5.

Suleiman who turns 20 years old on Saturday(August 18)was substituted by Anene in the 61st minute. of the season with no goal.