Jose Mourinho watched in “secret” as Manchester United swept West Ham United aside to reach the semifinals of the EFL Cup. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial both struck twice as United eased to a 4-1 victory at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Mourinho stayed out of sight after accepting a one-match touchline ban earlier in the day for his sending-off during Sunday’s Premier League draw against the same opponents. The Portuguese was inside the stadium but was only seen before and after the game when, after previously bemoaning his side’s luck, he expressed his satisfaction with the outcome. “I’m pleased with…
Author: David Folami
Inter Milan legend Luisito Suarez claims he has in his possession paperwork confirming that Lionel Messi was on the verge of joining the Nerazzurri. Suarez, who spent much of his playing career at Inter, winning the Scudetto three times in the 1960s in addition to lifting the European Cup twice with the Serie A club, and who spent two short spells on their bench in the 1990s, said a deal had already been struck with the player a decade ago. Suarez was working as an advisor for Inter at the time and he says Messi had given the Serie A…
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been handed a one-match touchline ban for the second time this season after he admitted an improper conduct charge following his sending off at the weekend, the FA said on Wednesday. The Portuguese, who was also fined £16 000, was banished from the dugout in the 27th minute of Sunday’s 1-1 home Premier League draw with West Ham United after kicking a water bottle down the touchline following a booking for midfielder Paul Pogba that he felt was unjust. “Following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing today… Jose Mourinho will serve a one-match touchline ban…
Chelsea’s renaissance under Antonio Conte comes under renewed scrutiny when the Premier League leaders visit Manchester City this weekend on the back of a seven-match winning streak. Only one point separates the two sides with Chelsea on 31 and City on 30 but Conte’s impact at Stamford Bridge appears greater than his City counterpart Pep Guardiola’s at the Etihad. That is largely due to the contrast from last season. Chelsea are 17 points better off than they were at this stage last season in the final days of Jose Mourinho, while City have four more than after 13 games under…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial scored twice as Manchester United crushed West Ham United 4-1 in the League Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday, while Arsenal were unexpectedly humbled by Southampton. United manager Jose Mourinho served a one-game touchline ban after his dismissal for kicking a water bottle during Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw against West Ham, but his absence had no ill-effects. Ibrahimovic put United ahead in the second minute and although Ashley Fletcher equalised, Martial’s second-half brace restored the hosts’ control before the Swede added a fourth goal in added time. United, who have made their worst start to a…
Arsene Wenger said Arsenal’s lack of urgency early in the match and not his team selection was to blame for the London club’s 2-0 League Cup quarterfinal loss to Southampton on Wednesday. Southampton will take on Liverpool in the semifinals after first half goals from Jordy Clasie and Ryan Bertrand got them past a weakened Arsenal side and into the last four for the first time since 1987. “We didn’t have enough urgency in the first half. We were weak in some departments and we paid for that,” Wenger told reporters. “We gave ourselves a mountain to climb. We were…
Zinedine Zidane’s smooth transition from Real Madrid legend as a player to Champions League winning coach has caught many by surprise, but Real president Florentino Perez believes success was guaranteed by the Frenchman’s “love story” with the Spanish giants. Zidane dazzled for five years as a Madrid player after being signed by Perez for a then-world record fee in 2001. Yet his incredible record in 11 months since being handed his first senior managerial role has more than rivalled his accomplishments as a player. Having suffered just two defeats in 48 games in charge, Zidane led Madrid to an 11th…
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho lauded his players’ “beautiful football” after they overwhelmed West Ham United 4-1 to set up a League Cup semifinal date with Hull City. United are toiling in the Premier League, where a run of four consecutive home draws has contributed to their worst start to a top-flight campaign since 1989. But they produced some irresistible football against West Ham at Old Trafford on Wednesday, prevailing through a brace apiece from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial. “I’m pleased with the goals because the performance is something that we are used to,” Mourinho told Sky Sports, before…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said its Anchor Borrowers Programme for the promotion of Agriculture has set the country to begin exportation of rice by 2017. The Anchor Borrowers Programme of the CBN and the Presidential Committee on Rice Production launched in July has jointly set the target. The Acting Director of Corporate Communications of the apex bank, Mr Isaac Okorafor, said this on Tuesday, November 29, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, at a sensitisation workshop for farmers. The theme of the workshop is entitled: “Promoting Stability and Economic Development.” According to him, farmers in Kebbi, Jigawa, Ebonyi, Sokoto…
The Minister of state for petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu has revealed that the Federal Government saved $15.4b as a result of removing fuel subsidy. The minister also thanked members of the House of Reps for supporting the price modulation template when it was introduced. According to Punch, Kachikwu said this while meeting with the House committee on Petroleum at the ministry of petroleum in Abuja. He also listed the achievements of the ministry of petroleum since he came on board. The minister said the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries have been partially restored. Kachikwu also revealed that “Nigeria was able…
The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has revealed that the Federal Government spent $1b on importation of kerosene in 2015. Osinbajo also revealed that the government had to spend so much on importing kerosene because a lot of families in Nigeria depend on the product. Adding that “The low LPG consumption in Nigeria has resulted in heavy dependence on kerosene and firewood as primary domestic cooking fuel. The government has undertaken huge subsidy of over $1bn in 2015 on kerosene subsidy.” The VP also said that a lot of women and children have been killed by diseases related to the use…
President Muhammadu Buhari has warned that the two million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in refugee camps across the country must be properly resettled if the country was to avert possible social discontent. The President gave the warning when he met with the world leader of Tijjaniyya Islamic Movement, Sheikh Sharif Mohammed Kabir Ibn Mohammad, at the State House, Abuja on Tuesday. A statement by Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, stated that Buhari also expressed regret over the destruction of public institutions in the North East by Boko Haram insurgents. He said “government is…
Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara on Tuesday in Abuja briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on security situation in Zamfara. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 155 people were killed and 40 others kidnapped in the last three months when groups of bandits invaded some villages in Zamfara. The kidnapped persons were, however, later released following negotiations between the state government and the kidnappers. Yari, who spoke to State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with the President, commended Federal Government’s prompt deployment of security agents to the state to address the challenge. He said “I am here…
The Senate committee on privatisation has called for a ban on the importation of used cars. According to Daily Post, the Chairman of the committee, Senator Ben Murray Bruce revealed this while on an oversight visit to the assembly plant of Volkswagen of Nigeria Automobile Limited in Lagos. He said “We want one million cars a year. Everybody who has a job should have a brand-new car. I will propose a ban on the importation of Tokunbo cars; but first, every Nigerian should be able to buy a brand new car in 10 seconds after we put up the ban,…
Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Tuesday presented the 2017 budget of N812.99 billion to the state House of Assembly. The budget, tagged: “Golden Jubilee Budget” is N150.4 billion higher than the 2016 budget of N662.58 billion. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2017 budget has a Capital Expenditure of N512.464 billion and a Recurrent Expenditure of N300.535 billion. The capital and recurrent ratio of the budget stood at 63:37 respectively. Ambode said that large part of the budget would be expended on road construction and rehabilitation, health, among others. According to him, Phase 2 of…
Adebayo Shittu, Nigeria’s minister of communication says the federal government has not ordered telecommunication providers to increase the price of data. The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) had directed all telecom operators to enforce a new tariff regime of 90 kobo per megabyte for big operators, effective on Thursday, 1st December 2016. But speaking on RayPower’s Fact File on Wednesday, November 30, 2016, Shittu said there was no reason for the planned increase. “But I want to say that I was not privy to it, I was not a party to it, the government never gave any such instruction and the…
The Nigerian Senate has condemned the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for planning to increase the price of data in the country. The NCC ordered service providers in the country to increase the data price from Thursday, December 1. The upper legislative chamber however described the move as the height of irresponsibility and resolved that it should be stopped. “It is very important that we protect the people that brought us here this is the height of irresponsibility by NCC,” the Senate Twitter handle posted on Wednesday, November 30. “Senators in all totality condemned the increase of data Tariffs by the…
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has said that the government’s plan to increase the price of data in the country will drive many Nigerians to suicide. The group also accused telecommunications operator, MTN of pushing for the increase. The TUC’s comments were made via a statement signed by President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Acting Secretary General, Comrade (Barr.) Simeso Amachree. The statement reads: “The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria warns against the on-going conspiracy between the Federal Government through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and some major telecom companies, especially MTN to further increase their data rates…
“Nolly Thursdays” which has been described as the new Industry Night” for the Nigerian film industry, is geared towards promoting and celebrating Nollywood movies (old and new) in the cinema. The next edition of GC’s Nolly Thursdays will hold on December 1, 2016, with the special guest as Ramsey Nouah, for the movie “76”. Nouah’s acting career kicked off when he starred in the Nigerian TV soap opera “Fortunes.” In 2010 Nouah won the African Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in “Figurine.” Synopsis: Six years after the civil war, a young…
So, Toke Makinwa released a book over the weekend and the Internet isn’t the same anymore. Toke in her new book “On Becoming” talks about her marriage scandal, growing up as a rebellious child, finding forgiveness and strengthening her faith in God. Fans have criticised her for being too revealing and airing her dirty laundry for money. The TV host who revealed she got a sexually transmitted disease from her estranged husband has since been dragged on Twitter but it seems like she has Chocolate City boss, MI Abaga’s full support. The rapper took to Twitter today, November 29, 2016,…