Jose Mourinho wants Paul Pogba to forget his world-record price tag and show Manchester United his true quality. A summer of discussion bore fruit five weeks ago when the open secret of the 23-year-old’s Old Trafford return from Juventus was made official. United paid an eye-watering €105 million euros (£89 million) to bring back a player who left them four years earlier in search of first-team football, with a further €5m (£4.25m) due if certain targets are met. It is a remarkable, record-breaking fee that sees Pogba stand alone as the world’s most expensive player ever — a price tag…
Author: David Folami
Antonio Conte warned his Chelsea players that they must “feel the danger in every moment of the game” if they are to avoid a repeat of last season’s Premier League capitulation, after a 2-1 defeat against Liverpool on Friday. First-half goals from Dejan Lovren and Jordan Henderson gave a dominant Liverpool what proved an unassailable lead after 45 minutes at Stamford Bridge, though Diego Costa scored his fifth Premier League goal of the season in the 61st minute to set up a tense finale. Much of the prematch talk centered around David Luiz’s return to the heart of the Chelsea…
Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool “played football like hell” as his side defeated Chelsea 2-1 on Friday night. Dejan Lovren’s volley and Jordan Henderson’s wonder strike gave Klopp a second victory at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League since he took over the Reds last season. Diego Costa found a second-half goal for Chelsea, and while Klopp said the Blues were “too strong” to control for all 90 minutes, he was particularly pleased with his side’s performance before the break. “The beginning was brilliant — brilliant from my side. We played football like hell. It was really nice to watch,” the…
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has told Paul Pogba to keep things simple instead of trying to replicate Barcelona star Lionel Messi. The France international has endured a difficult start to life at Old Trafford following his £89million move from Juventus and has received his fair share of criticism in recent weeks. Scholes believes Pogba is trying too hard to make the difference and has advised the midfielder to focus on the things that made him stand out in Serie A. “Pogba seems to be a little all over the place at times. I think he’s trying to do…
Leonardo Bonucci has warned Inter that Juventus are hungrier than ever following their disappointing 0-0 Champions League draw with Sevilla on Wednesday. The Serie A champions are regarded as one of the outsiders to win European club football’s elite competition, but they failed to get off to a winning start. Juve will be looking to return to winning ways against Inter on Sunday, having started their bid for a sixth consecutive Scudetto with three straight victories. “Sunday’s match against Inter will be a tough test for us against a team in transition; no doubt they will be looking to prove…
Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti has already noticed improvement in his game thanks to facing Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar in training. Umtiti, 22, joined the LaLiga champions from Lyon in June in a deal reportedly worth €25million. The France international has made an impressive start to life in Spain, and he believes some of that is down to his team’s attacking stars. “I like to play against Messi, Neymar and Suarez in training,” Umtiti told Cadena SER. “It’s a plus, and in the games I notice it.” Umtiti had special praise for Messi, saying the Argentina international was the…
Jose Mourinho refused to pass judgement on his Manchester United fringe players after his side were beaten 1-0 in their Europa League opener at Feyenoord. United put in a disjointed performance at De Kuip and were caught by a 79th-minute sucker punch from Tonny Vilhena that proved enough to earn all three points for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men in the Group A fixture. The likes of Matteo Darmian, Marcos Rojo, Morgan Schneiderlin and Ander Herrera were all given the chance to stake a claim for a starting berth having had limited minutes this term, but United endured a frustrating evening.…
Adam Lallana is not just impressing Jurgen Klopp on the pitch, with the Liverpool manager revealing the attacking midfielder is also a “nice guy” as a neighbour. England international Lallana has flourished since Klopp took over at Anfield in October 2015 having initially struggled following his 2014 move from Southampton. Lallana emphasised his growing importance to Liverpool with a superb strike in Sunday’s 4-1 rout of Premier League champions Leicester City at a redeveloped Anfield. Klopp says Lallana is flourishing after fully settling at the club, and the manager may even be able to pop into the 28-year-old’s house for…
Atletico Madrid forward Fernando Torres has responded to speculation that Diego Simeone has had his contract at the club shortened, dismissing them as an unnecessary distraction. Reports in Spain suggest the Atleti boss has negotiated with the club over reducing the length of his current deal, meaning it will expire in 2018 rather than 2020. However, Torres stressed the issue was not something he wanted to hinder the team’s pursuit of silverware, insisting that his side’s focus should be on having a successful season. “It’s a hypothesis that is not real,” he said at a promotional event. “Let’s be real.…
According to Costacomunicaciones one Real Madrid fan jumped out of his chair at a bar called “El bon gust” to celebrate Morata’s winner, he sadly suffered a heart-attack. According to a witness, “the man got up to celebrate the goal and then he suddenly collapsed”. The local police and an ambulance were dispatched to the scene where they tried to save the victim’s life, but were unsuccessful. The owner of the bar has shut the establishment for the time being and was too upset to comment on the events.
Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno has advised the military to develop more robust relationship with the media to boost its success in the ongoing war against terrorism in the North-East. Shettima gave the advice at a workshop on the Media/Military Relationship, jointly organised by the 7 Div. Nigerian Army and the Borno council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Maiduguri on Thursday. He said that the military must also begin to take the media into confidence in some of its operations to avoid speculations. Shettima said that unlike most developed countries, Nigerian military was yet to have a concrete…
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says the ministry will repackage the Abuja carnival to compete viably with world class carnivals. The minister stated this on Thursday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ meeting of the 2016 Abuja Carnival. He said the Abuja carnival would be made to compete with that of Notting Hill in the UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil and others that contribute immensely to their countries’ Internally Generated Revenue and Gross Domestic Product. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2016 Abuja carnival with the theme “Creative Industry: A Pivot to Economic Growth’’…
President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration will support a constitutional amendment to free local governments from the stranglehold of state governments. Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, said in a statement that Buhari made his position known when he received the leadership of the Association of Local Governments in Nigeria (ALGON) on Thursday in Abuja. He stated that the President told the ALGON leadership that the amendment, when carried out, would better the lot of Nigerians at the community level. He stressed that a constitutional amendment was urgently required to clearly define the relationship…
Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo has relieved the Commissioner for Information in the state, Dr Vitais Ajumbe of his duties. Also sacked from office are the Special Adviser to the governor on Public Enlightenment and Strategy, Mr Kelechi Okpalaeke, and Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Justice Odika. According to a statement from the Principal Secretary to the governor, Mr Pascal Obi, in Owerri on Thursday, the sack is with immediate effect. The governor on the other hand has appointed Pastor Ralp Afoaku as the Director General of the state-onwed media, the Imo Broadcasting Corporation (IBC). Afoaku replaces Mrs…
The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has sympathised with Nigerians on the state of the economy. Adeosun made this known at the Ministerial Retreat on the Economy and the Budget at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja. The minister also promised that things would soon change for the better as the FG has a credible plan that is based on the need to invest in infrastructure. “We did not anticipate the impact of the much awaited crisis which of course is built on our revenue which is down significantly. We have a credible plan and that plan is based…
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to respect Nigeria’s constitution. IPOB also called on Buhari to release its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in detention since October 2015. The group made the comments via a statement released by spokesmen, Emma Nmezu and Dr. Clifford Iroanya. The statement reads: “Muhammadu Buhari freed a terrorist Kabiru Umar (a.k.a Kabiru Sokoto) but disobeyed court orders on unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu. Is the government not sure of the ability of its legal team to make a strong case for the conviction of Kanu?” “Is government impatient with…
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and immediate past Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, says the state-run oil firm has become a different proposition under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. The Minister said the perception of the firm by Nigerians as a corrupt enterprise, is fast giving way. Kachikwu who was keynote speaker at a symposium organised by data outfit BudgIT on Thursday, September 15, 2016, said transparency processes have been put in place across the oil spectrum, since he first served as NNPC GMD in the current dispensation. The minister…
Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers has announced the recall of the four suspended commissioners, the Head of Service and the Special Adviser on Lands. Information on the recall is contained in a statement issued by the governor’s Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, made available to newsmen on Friday in Port Harcourt. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Wike suspended the commissioners: Dr John Baziafor (Chieftaincy Affairs), Mrs Tonye Briggs-Oniyide (Culture and Tourism), Dr Fred Kpakol (Finance) and Mr Boma Iyaye (Sports). Also suspended were Mr Godwin Rufus (Head of Service) and Mr Anugbum Onuoha, the…
Former First Lady, Patience Jonathan has filed a $200 million suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after the agency blocked some bank accounts linked to her. Mrs Jonathan filed the case on Thursday, September 16, 2016, at the Federal High Court in Lagos, according to The Guardian. Other defendants in the case are Skye Bank, former Special Assistant to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited, Transocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Globus Integrated Service Limited. The bank accounts were opened for…
Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau has informed Nigerians that he doesn’t have a Facebook account. Dambazau also warned that some fraudsters were using Facebook accounts opened in his name to dupe citizens. The minister made the disclosure via a statement released by his Press Secretary, Osaigbovo Ehisienmen on Thursday, September 15, 2016. The statement reads: “The attention of the Honourable Minister of Interior, Lt General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (Rtd), has been drawn to the activities of some ungodly, unscrupulous and criminally minded persons, masquerading as the Interior Minister on Facebook.” “These impostors have craftily opened multiple Facebook accounts bearing the…