Victor Moses celebrates after a goal against Ethiopia during World Cup qualifying on November 16, 2013. Afolabi Sotunde / Reuters
Victor Moses celebrates after a goal against Ethiopia during World Cup qualifying on November 16, 2013. Afolabi Sotunde / Reuters
Victor Moses celebrates after a goal against Ethiopia during World Cup qualifying on November 16, 2013. Afolabi Sotunde / Reuters
Victor Moses celebrates after a goal against Ethiopia during World Cup qualifying on November 16, 2013. Afolabi Sotunde / Reuters

Victor Moses on Nigeria: ‘I believe we can reach the semi-finals’


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Victor Moses is targeting a World Cup semi-final spot ahead of Nigeria’s international friendly with Scotland in London on Wednesday.

Moses and his teammates will step up their preparations for Brazil against Gordon Strachan’s improving side at Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham, recently relegated from the Premier League.

And the winger, on the books at nearby Chelsea, is confident Nigeria can make a major impression on next month’s global showpiece.

“I believe we can reach the semi-finals. But togetherness of the team under the coach is key.

“There is always a good vibe among the lads when we come together and we’ll need that at the World Cup.”

Moses has endured a disappointing season on loan at Liverpool where he found himself overlooked for long periods as the Merseysiders finished runners-up in the Premier League behind champions Manchester City, but he believes his frustrations can help fire his World Cup campaign.

“I think playing at the World Cup will be good for a lot of the players, and not just me,” he said.

After the Scotland clash, Nigeria will fly out to the United States where coach Stephen Keshi will decide on his final 23-man squad before international football governing body Fifa’s June 2nd deadline.

Scotland failed to qualify for the finals – they haven’t reached the latter stages of a major tournament since appearing at the 1998 World Cup in France – but their improved performances under Strachan have boosted confidence ahead of next season’s Euro 2016 qualifiers.

Hull striker George Boyd returns to the Scotland squad after a 12-month absence following his decision to pull out of last year’s trip to Croatia because it clashed with his wedding.

“I’ve been on the fringes of things,” said Boyd. “I had a game in Serbia but then got married and had to miss the next squad, which probably killed me a bit.

“My wedding clashed with the June date when Scotland won in Croatia. That was really unfortunate and obviously wasn’t great from a football perspective.

“It was a great performance by the boys in that game and it’s hard to change when the team is winning. So really I’m just happy to be back in.”

He added: “I think we have that winning mentality with Scotland now.

“The past months have been really good in terms of results and performances so hopefully we can take that all the way into the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.”

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Sheikh Zayed's poem

When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.

Your love is ruling over my heart

Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it

Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home

You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness

Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins

You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge

You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm

Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you

You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it

Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by. 

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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