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RIO DE JANEIRO -- The Nigerian mens soccer team had its trip to the Rio Olympics delayed by a mix-up at the airport, forcing the club to board a last-minute flight from Atlanta to Brazil just hours before its opening match in the games.The team boarded a Delta Air Lines jet out of Atlanta on Thursday morning for the jungle city of Manaus, where it plays Japan later in the day. The teams spokesman posted a picture on Twitter of the team boarding the plane with the message here we go and said they were scheduled to arrive in the city in time to play the match.Still, the team faced the uncomfortable situation of spending the day of its debut at the Olympics aboard an airplane on a more than six-hour flight and facing a Japan team that has been in Brazil for several days preparing for the contest.There are conflicting reports about how the team ended up in this position.Bunmi Jinadu, founder of United Soccer Africa, disputed reports that the team missed its original flight because of a money issue between the Nigerian government and a charter company. Delta Air Lines cited a communications mix-up that grounded the teams original Friday flight.Jinadu said the problem stemmed from poor planning and coordination on the part of the Nigerian team in leaving Atlanta, where it has been training to prepare for the games. He said the team had assumed it could simply buy plane tickets to Rio at the last minute -- just like Nigerians do in their home country to book travel.They then encountered a crush of travelers and lack of flights at the busy Atlanta airport, where several Brazil-bound trips are originating. The team thought it had a backup plan on Wednesday, but the plane wasnt big enough to accommodate the team, Jinadu said.The flight the team finally boarded was on a chartered Delta jet. A spokesperson for Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines said it stepped in to help the team get to its destination, free of charge, after learning of the flight issue.The plane normally is used to transport NBA teams, and the same aircraft will fly the U.S. mens basketball team back to the U.S. after the Olympics.Atlanta was the site of Nigerias greatest soccer triumph as it won the gold medal in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.This came to our attention on the 20th anniversary of the Nigerian football teams win at the Atlanta games, said Delta spokesperson Betsy Talton. Everyone was happy to help them with another miracle by getting them to Manaus.Jinadu said the mood remained upbeat among the players as they headed to Brazil at the last minute.Nigeria has tough skin, he said. All the players playing on this team know this is their livelihood and they have been overly anxious to get to Rio.Its not the first time an African soccer team had to make a last-minute flight for a high-profile match in Brazil.In 2014, Cameroons World Cup team refused to board a plane to take them to Brazil because of a dispute over bonus payments for the tournament. Their national soccer federation took out a loan to meet their demands, and the team caught a later flight. William Karlsson Jersey . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. Vegas Golden Knights Gear .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. https://www.cheapgoldenknights.com/ . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. Mark Stone Jersey . -- Josh Sterk scored once and set up two more as the Oshawa Generals edged the visiting Belleville Bulls 3-2 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Brayden McNabb Jersey . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. The San Jose Sharks appear to be a team in flux, but theyve made sure that one of the core pieces will be around for quite a while.With Brent Burns contract situation now a done deal, the Sharks continue their five-game homestand Wednesday night versus the Chicago Blackhawks.San Jose (10-8-1) has long been anchored by Joe Thornton and original Shark Patrick Marleau, both in their 19th NHL seasons with their respective contracts expiring after the season. Joe Pavelski, at 32, and Logan Couture, at 27, are locked up through 2019.Now the Sharks top defenseman has been taken care of, as Burns on Tuesday signed an eight-year extension worth a reported $64 million.Burns, now in his sixth season with San Jose after playing with the Minnesota Wild from 2003-11, is the Sharks all-time leader among defensemen with 93 goals, and needs 14 points to surpass Dan Boyle (269 points from 2008-14) as the teams career leader in points among blue-liners.Brent is one the most dynamic players in the National Hockey League and were very excited to get this deal done, Sharks general manager Doug Wilson told the teams official website Tuesday.Burns snapped a season high-tying, three-game scoreless streak with a goal and assist in the Sharks 4-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on Monday in the opener of the homestand. He leads San Jose with seven goals and with 16 points is one shy of tying Pavelski for the team lead.While with the Sharks, Burns has two goals and five assists in 14 career games against the Blackhawks in San Jose.The Sharks, who lost in the Stanley Cup final in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, come into this game trailing the Edmonton Oilers by just two points for the Pacific Division lead. And even though Burns will be 40 when the new deal expires, hes excited about what the future holds for the club.We got some great guys coming up. ... Were going to have a great group for a long time, Burns told the San Jose Mercury News.Martin Jones is expected to start in goal for the Sharks, and iff so, hell try to build off a 26-save performance against the Devils for his second shutout in six games.ddddddddddddones is 5-2-0 with a 1.58 goals-against average with a .933 save percentage at SAP Center this season. He lost in his only start and career appearance against the Blackhawks last season.The Blackhawks annual Circus Trip shifts to California after going 2-2-0 across central and western Canada.Chicago was blanked for the second time on this trip -- 5-0 by Edmonton on Monday. The Blackhawks dropped a 4-0 decision to the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 15, and were held scoreless for the first 42:53 before roaring back from three goals down for a 4-3 overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks on SaturdayCoach Joel Quenneville told the Chicago Sun-Times that he needs production from everyone.When you dont score in two of the three games, and you basically get production in one period out of nine, youre looking for ways to generate, he said. ... But we need four lines going.Jonathan Toews has been remarkably consistent through his first nine NHL seasons for Chicago, averaging 28 goals and 35 assists. However, the Blackhawks captain has just four goals and eight assists in 20 games, and has failed to get on the scoresheet in the last four.Facing the Sharks may help him get back on track. Hes posted 13 goals and 13 assists in 29 career games versus San Jose, leading his team to a 16-9-4 record.Chicago is 8-2-2 in its last 12 against the Sharks, however the two regulation defeats have been by shutout. The Blackhawks defense has been particularly strong, limiting the Sharks to 1.83 goals per game over the dozen matchups.Corey Crawford will likely get the chance to make up for the poor effort in Edmonton. Hes 3-0-1 with a 1.97 GAA in his last four starts in San Jose.That wasnt our team, Crawford said Monday. ... We just have to forget about it and worry about the next game. ' ' '