People were biting me during Villa Park pitch invasion - Delph

Aston Villa captain Fabian Delph admitted he feared for his safety as a mass pitch invasion followed the 2-0 FA Cup win over West Brom.

Delph opened the scoring in the 51st minute with a well-taken strike and on-loan Manchester City winger Scott Sinclair sealed Villa's progress to the semi-finals before the closing moments of the contest descended into farce.

Both sides finished with 10 men as West Brom defender Claudio Yacob and Villa defender Jack Grealish both received controversial second yellow cards.

Yacob departed prior to Sinclair's goal and following Grealish's red card, a group of Villa fans entered the field of play, with one momentarily stealing the corner flag.

Supporters streamed onto the pitch from all sides of Villa Park at the final whistle and Delph found himself caught up in the rush. 

"Very, very scary," the England midfielder told BBC Sport when asked for his assessment, although he understood the outpouring of emotion from the Villa faithful amid a largely forgettable season to date.

"My armband got nicked, someone got my left boot, but I could appreciate the relief the fans are feeling after a result like that," he added.

"It was dangerous. Someone tried to take my boot off. People tried to kiss me and were biting me. It was scary."

Reacting to the events on Twitter, West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster, who watched the game from the bench, bemoaned the "stupid scenes"

Basile: Messi does not need World Cup win

Former Argentina coach Alfio Basile does not believe Lionel Messi needs to win the World Cup to cement his legacy.

Messi has enjoyed huge levels of club success with Barcelona, winning every domestic trophy in Spain and the UEFA Champions League on three occasions.

He was named player of the tournament at last year's World Cup but left disappointed as Argentina lost the final 1-0 to Germany after extra time.

Basile coached Messi during his second stint as Argentina coach from 2006 to 2008, having previously led his country to Copa America success in 1991 and 1993.

And he told Perform: "The problem Messi has is that people want him to win it [the World Cup] because they think he will then become even better.

"But although he is not a world champion, Messi is a phenomenon." soccerway reports

Five Kano Pillars players wounded by gunmen

Five Kano Pillars players were wounded by a gunman during an attempted robbery on Thursday.

The incident occurred in Abaji as the defending Premier League champions travelled to Owerri for their season-opening clash with Heartland at the weekend.

Tweeting after the shootings, the club said: "Five players were injured from gunshots - Gambo, Ogbonaya, Eneji Otekpa, Murtala Adamu, and Moses Ekpai.

"The gunmen also snatched handsets and other valuables from the players".

The players were later said to be in a stable condition, with one of the injured, Reuben Ogbonnaya, later taking to Twitter to offer his thanks to well-wishers.

"I really appreciate God for what he has done for me and my team-mates today," he said. "He kept us alive

"I want to thank all the people who have shown us such great love. Thank you very much

"Thanks for the prayers also, we appreciate."

The club's fixture against Heartland has been postponed indefinitely, while a request has also been made to push back the CAF Champions League first-round first-leg clash with Moghreb Tetouan, scheduled for next Thursday.

Friday soccer predictions and selections

Time	Match	Tip	odd	Result
20.45 20.00 21.30 18.00	Sittard   vs  Maastricht Amiens     vs colomiers Braga     vs  fc porto Ruch         vs  pogon szczecin	2  2-3  2-3  2-3	2.15 2.14 2.15 2.15	WON WON LOSE WON

                            Total odds  21.3

Kane no guarantee for England squad - Hodgson

England manager Roy Hodgson said Harry Kane may miss out on selection for upcoming international friendlies later this month, despite the Tottenham striker's rich vein of form.

Kane has enjoyed a breakout season for Tottenham, with the 21-year-old's 24 goals in all competitions making him the leading English striker this term.

Many expect Kane to be included in the England squad when Hodgson names his team for friendly fixtures against Lithuania (March 27) and Italy (March 30).

But Hodgson is giving no guarantees, with Kane's inclusion depended on space in the squad after Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Saido Berahino and Rickie Lambert were selected for November's friendlies.

Daniel Sturridge is also returning to full fitness.

"Kane is ready; if he wasn't ready, he wouldn't be playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League and scoring lots of goals," Hodgson said.

"The factors that always are taken mostly into consideration is has the player got the quality, and the talent we are looking for and is there a space for him because we have other players too.

"Often if someone like Kane is going to come into the squad, then someone is going to drop out and up until now most of the players that we've had, at least in the forward area of our squad, have done quite well for us during the autumn, so you can't include everybody unfortunately.

"We can just about deal with a squad of 23, 24 players, so it's not always a question of are they good enough to be in there. It's more if there is space at this moment in time. That's the most important consideration."

Hodgson added: "He's in my thoughts of course, he deserves to be scoring goals for one of our top teams in the Premier League.

"It would be strange if he wasn't in my thoughts, but it's a player I know anyway because he has done a lot of good work for the U21s and I know all of those players and what pleases me most is that these young players now get a chance to play.

"I am delighted for him and we will see when I select my squad at the end of the month whether he is in it or not."   Soccerway reports

I was overwhelmed by price tag - Ideye

Brown Ideye admits his initial struggles at West Brom were due to the fact he was "overwhelmed" by becoming the club's record signing.

The Nigeria international was signed by former head coach Alan Irvine last July for a fee thought to be in the region of £10million.

Ideye initially struggled to make an impact at The Hawthorns and did not score his first Premier League goal until Boxing Day in the 3-1 defeat to Manchester City, leading to speculation that he would cut short his stay in the last transfer window.

However, the striker has looked revitalised under new boss Tony Pulis and scored four goals in three appearances across all competitions in the space of seven days last month, while a blossoming partnership with Saido Berahino has developed.

And Ideye stated that the criticism he received during his early days in England only spurred him on to prove his doubters wrong.

"I took a lot of time to adapt," he told The Daily Mail. "I was overwhelmed that I am the record signing. I put a lot of pressure on myself. People are not patient.

"The game doesn't turn out the way I want, I become frustrated, I keep on pushing when I am supposed to calm down. Things were going so fast.

"As for the social media, you can't expect everyone to like you. They will say what they want. I don't see what can shake me given what has happened before.

"It's inspiration. They are pushing me to my success. I like people criticising me.

"That one week turned out to be something I dreamt. I felt this day would come. Getting back to the Brown Ideye people know.

"One day the people who are saying, 'he's no good' are the same people who will say, 'don't let him go'.

Friday soccer prediction 'best and worst teams

Friday's soccer best teams

Team		G	P	R	Next match	1	X	2
	A. Klagenfurt	16	41	2.6	A. Klagenfurt - Sturm Graz (Am)	1.37	4.24	6.64
	FC Porto	23	55	2.4	Braga - FC Porto	4.40	3.37	1.82
	Wurzburger Kickers	22	51	2.3	Wurzburger Kickers - Heimstetten	1.14	6.50	13.56
	FC Wegberg-Beeck	15	34	2.3	FC Wegberg-Beeck - Hertha Walheim	1.33	4.96	6.06
	Al Jahra	17	37	2.2	Kazma SC - Al Jahra	2.23	3.20	2.86
	Alemannia Aachen	23	48	2.1	Alemannia Aachen - Wiedenbruck	1.44	3.94	6.42
	Haverfordwest	21	43	2.0	Goytre Utd - Haverfordwest	2.24	3.85	2.40
	Lommel Utd	27	55	2.0	Leuven - Lommel Utd	2.06	3.34	3.25
	Paris FC	22	44	2.0	Istres - Paris FC	4.03	3.08	1.91
	Braga	23	46	2.0	Braga - FC Porto	4.40	3.37	1.82
	Goytre Utd	22	44	2.0	Goytre Utd - Haverfordwest	2.24	3.85	2.40
	Lamia	19	38	2.0	Lamia - Zakynthos	1.69	3.42	4.48
	Al Oruba	16	32	2.0	Al Nahda - Al Oruba	3.53	3.37	1.87
	Ingolstadt	23	45	2.0	Aue - Ingolstadt	3.88	3.24	1.98
	Bourg Peronnas	22	43	2.0	Strasbourg - Bourg Peronnas	2.12	3.03	3.36
	Liefering	21	41	2.0	Wacker Innsbruck - Liefering	2.90	3.36	2.21
	Mattersburg	21	41	2.0	St. Polten - Mattersburg	2.60	3.22	2.51
	Al-Ittihad FC	17	33	1.9	Al-Ittihad FC - Najran	1.40	4.24	6.43
	First Vienna	16	31	1.9	First Vienna - Admira (Am)	1.45	4.02	5.54
	Troyes	26	50	1.9	Troyes - Clermont	1.56	3.57	6.21
	LASK Linz	21	40	1.9	LASK Linz - A. Lustenau	1.72	3.59	4.35
	Bidvest Wits	21	40	1.9	Bidvest Wits - Bloem Celtic	1.72	3.28	4.46
	ASA Targu Mures	19	36	1.9	ASA Targu Mures - Din. Bucuresti	2.30	3.14	2.91
	Juve Stabia	27	51	1.9	Lecce - Juve Stabia	2.39	3.01	2.78
	Zakynthos	18	34	1.9	Lamia - Zakynthos	1.69	3.42	4.48
	Bekescsaba 1912	17	32	1.9	Soproni VSE - Bekescsaba 1912	2.30	3.19	2.76
	Kazma SC	17	32	1.9	Kazma SC - Al Jahra	2.23	3.20	2.86
	Marseille	27	50	1.9	Toulouse - Marseille	2.98	3.24	2.41
	Red Star	20	37	1.9	Red Star - Colmar	1.65	3.47	4.93
	Al Wehda	24	44	1.8	Al Riyadh - Al Wehda	3.65	3.48	1.82

MORE STREAKS

Worst teams

Team		G	P	R	Next match	1	X	2
	Marilia	7	1	0.1	Marilia - Piracicaba	2.73	3.15	2.43
	Britannia XI	13	3	0.2	Britannia XI - Glacis United	2.70	3.75	2.10
	Al-Fahaheel	17	5	0.3	Al-Fahaheel - Al Naser	3.40	3.32	1.94
	Sport Boys	9	3	0.3	Sport Boys - Nacional Potosí	1.93	3.26	3.51
	Shamal	19	7	0.4	Al Sailiya - Shamal	1.71	3.79	3.84
	Neuberg	16	7	0.4	Wiener - Neuberg	1.42	4.23	5.73
	Nacional Potosí	9	4	0.4	Sport Boys - Nacional Potosí	1.93	3.26	3.51
	Al Tadamon	17	8	0.5	Al Tadamon - Yarmouk	2.84	3.22	2.23
	Vöcklamarkt	16	8	0.5	Vöcklamarkt - SAK Klagenfurt	1.72	3.54	3.98
	Al Sahel	17	9	0.5	Al Shabab - Al Sahel	1.92	3.35	3.41
	Epinal	20	11	0.6	Frejus Saint Raphael - Epinal	1.84	3.26	4.05
	SAK Klagenfurt	16	9	0.6	Vöcklamarkt - SAK Klagenfurt	1.72	3.54	3.98
	Yarmouk	17	11	0.6	Al Tadamon - Yarmouk	2.84	3.22	2.23
	Glacis United	12	8	0.7	Britannia XI - Glacis United	2.70	3.75	2.10
	Istres	22	15	0.7	Istres - Paris FC	4.03	3.08	1.91
	Al Shabab	17	13	0.8	Al Shabab - Al Sahel	1.92	3.35	3.41
	Aversa	27	21	0.8	Aversa - Martina Franca	2.23	2.99	3.06
	Blackburn U21	14	11	0.8	Reading U21 - Blackburn U21	1.61	3.68	4.52
	Al-Shahaniya	19	15	0.8	Umm-Salal - Al-Shahaniya	1.51	4.01	5.05
	Ceahlaul	19	15	0.8	Ceahlaul - Pandurii	5.58	3.63	1.56
	B. Bystrica	20	16	0.8	B. Bystrica - Trnava	5.80	3.82	1.50
	Ural U21	17	14	0.8	Zenit Petersburg U21 - Ural U21	1.53	3.87	4.94
	Al Orubah	17	14	0.8	Al-Faisaly - Al Orubah	1.78	3.43	3.92
	VfB Stuttgart	23	19	0.8	VfB Stuttgart - Hertha Berlin	2.08	3.32	3.69
	Sittard	27	23	0.9	Sittard - Maastricht	3.08	3.41	2.11
	Piracicaba	7	6	0.9	Marilia - Piracicaba	2.73	3.15	2.43
	Al Safa	24	21	0.9	Al Taee - Al Safa	1.50	3.78	5.10
	Najran	16	14	0.9	Al-Ittihad FC - Najran	1.40	4.24	6.43
	Usti nad Labem	16	14	0.9	Usti nad Labem - Opava	2.12	3.22	3.05
	Levante	25	22	0.9	Levante - Eibar	2.13	3.15	3.77