Jurgen Klopp says he’s unsure if Liverpool will bring in more players this summer, but has admitted that those still on the squad after Aug. 31 will have a “big influence” on the Reds’ upcoming season. Liverpool have brought in a number of reinforcements during the summer window, including the likes of Joel Matip, Sadio Mane, Loris Karius and most recently Georginio Wijnaldum. The former Borussia Dortmund boss was forced to play 34 different players in the Premier League last season, but a lack of European football could see that number significantly reduced in 2016-17. Asked if he could foresee…
Author: David Folami
Star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is targeting titles next season with Borussia Dortmund, who have spent 117 million euros ($128.5m) in making eight new signings, to break Bayern Munich’s stranglehold in Germany. Aubameyang, 27, has been linked to a bumper move to Pep Guardiola-led Manchester City, but poured more cold water on any speculation by saying he wants to win titles with Dortmund, where he has a contract until 2020. Bayern have won the Bundesliga title for the last four seasons in succession and face Dortmund for the German Super Cup title on August 14. Borussia, who finished second in Germany’s…
French winger Franck Ribery has again criticised his ex-Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola during the club’s tour of the United States, claiming the Spaniard talks too much and lacks experience. Guardiola is now head coach of Manchester City after three seasons with Bayern and Ribery has wasted no time in criticising his former boss. Bayern lost 5-3 to AC Milan on Wednesday in a penalty shoot-out after their friendly in Chicago finished 3-3 after extra time. Ribery netted twice, including converting a 90th minute penalty, and has refound his form after injury restricted his number of appearances last season. Carlo…
Nigeria great Stephen Keshi will begin his final journey home on Thursday in Benin City Nigeria. The former Super Eagles captain and coach died on June 8, 2016, at the age of 54 in what was a huge loss to Nigeria, Africa and indeed the world. He was a very strong character who believed in his abilities and always had the zeal to win. Keshi remains a hero in Nigeria and far beyond. One of the only two men to have won the Africa Cup of Nations as a player and coach, he was captain of Nigeria for 11 years…
Mamadou Sakho was sent back from Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States because of a lack of respect towards rules but the defender’s actions were not serious enough to warrant more punishment, manager Jurgen Klopp has said. The France international, who was recently cleared by Uefa after allegations of a failed drugs test, is currently nursing an Achilles injury and is expected to miss the start of the Premier League season, which begins on August 13. Klopp said Sakho broke rules during the tour. “He missed the departure of the plane, he missed a session and then was late…
Arsenal do not have the financial strength to “outgun” Premier League rivals in the transfer market and have to be careful in signing new players, according to the club’s chief executive Ivan Gazidis. Arsenal finished a distant second to champions Leicester City last season and fans have vented frustration at the lack of big-money signings. Over the past few years, Arsenal have signed marquee names like Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil and Chile winger Alexis Sanchez, but they have still spent considerably less than many of their rivals. “We can’t afford to outgun competitors that have far more money — we…
Barcelona paraded Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes at the Camp Nou on Wednesday after his €55-million capture from Valencia on a five-year deal. The 22-year-old, part of Portugal’s European Championship-winning side, has a release clause of €100 million and will cost an initial €35 million, with €20 million in add-ons. Gomes, who agreed the move last week, said he chose the Spanish champions because he felt it gave him the best chance to progress as a player. “Every club has its own personality. The one that suits me the best is Barcelona,” the player said, adding that he had rebuffed other…
Eden Hazard said he was eager to recapture the form he displayed in Chelsea’s title-winning 2014-15 campaign to help the club recover from the disappointments of last season and bring the Premier League trophy back to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea launched one of the worst defences of the league title in living memory last campaign, finishing 10th in the final table 31 points behind champions Leicester City. “I want to be the best, like I was two seasons ago. I said — after the season like this — I wanted to stay at Chelsea because I didn’t want to finish like…
The Ogun State government has closed down at least 26 private hospitals, whose management have failed to revalidate their facilities in line with regulations. The institutions affected reportedly failed to comply with the Private Hospitals and other Health Establishments Registration Edict of 1988. Dr. Nafiu Aigoro, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, ordered the closure during a monitoring and inspection exercise. Represented by Dr. Solomon Shokunbi, the Permanent Secretary said the act is in the best interest of the people. Aigoro disclosed through Shokunbi saying, ’’the monitoring team has shut down the total number of 19 private health facilities in…
Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has said that he is praying for Nigeria’s oil wells to dry up so that peace can reign in the country. Okorocha also said that the drying of the oil wells would also force Nigeria to diversify her economy. The governor made the comments during an interactive session with members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state. Okorocha said further that the activities of militants in the Niger Delta would reduce if the oil wells dried up. The region has been suffering frequent attacks on oil installations, most of which have been…
Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) isn’t managing its victory well. Okorocha made the comment while speaking to journalists in Owerri on Sunday, May 22, 2016. “Make no mistake about it, All Progressives Congress, APC, is a good party by all standards. But my regret is that we are not managing our victory very well,” the governor said. “I have no doubt in my mind that the old man (Buhari) will succeed. All I pleaded with Buhari to capture in the current fiscal year are in the budget. I want to assure…
Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has said that he does not need more than 200 workers in the state’s civil service. Okorocha also complained that the state was spending too much on salaries for civil servants. The governor made the comments during a recent interview with The Independent. “I don’t need more than 200 workers at the civil service of Imo State but I need more than 100,000 in the agricultural sector of the state. It’s like if this nation makes $1 trillion every day and ends up paying salaries with it, there still will be no progress,” he said.…
Less than 24 hours after jointly addressing the press on Monday, April 4, 2016, saying they have given peace a chance, the former Secretary of PDP in Ekiti state, Tope Aluko and Governor Ayodele Fayose’s feud is far from over. Aluko said all he said to newsmen was out of fear for the safety of his wife and family, noting that his confession about Fayose rigging the 2014 governorship elections is still valid. He said: “I need not recall the drama and face off that ensued between me and Fayose inside the meeting. It is worthy of note that it…
Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of losing its independence and becoming partisan. Fayose also criticized INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, over plans to establish an Electoral Offences Tribunal. The governor made the comments on Thursday, April 7, 2016, via a statement released by his media aide, Lere Olayinka. It reads: “INEC under the present dispensation is the number one electoral offender and that electoral reform without INEC neutrality is a mirage. “Even though the establishment of Electoral Offences Tribunal is not entirely a bad idea, but INEC as presently constituted does not…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed the rerun elections scheduled to hold in Rivers State on July 30, 2016, due to security concerns. The postponement was announced by INEC Secretary, Mrs Augusta Ogakwu via a statement. The statement reads in part: “As a responsible organisation and conscious of the violence, maiming and fatalities which accompanied the previous election in March as well as developments in the state since then, the commission cannot ignore such credible reports. “In the circumstances, therefore, it is compelled to further postpone the rerun legislative elections in Rivers State as one of the principal…
The Governorship Election Tribunal for Bayelsa sitting in Abuja on Tuesday upheld the election of Gov. Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Mr Timipre Sylva and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Jan. 30 challenged his return as governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s at the tribunal. INEC had declared Dickson as winner of the Dec.5, 2015 and Jan. 9, 2016 re-run governorship election. In his judgment, the tribunal Chairman, Justice Kazeem Alogba, held that there were no evidence to prove wide spread illegality during the election. Alogba, who led two other Justices, further held…
Every morning, Mama Biliki prepares small bags of popcorn outside her ramshackle house in Ajegunle, one of Lagos’ poorest neighbourhoods, to sell by the roadside for 50 naira each. On a good day, she reckons she can earn about 5,000 naira ($16, €15) hawking them to pedestrians and motorists stuck in the traffic jams that plague Nigeria’s biggest city. But the governor of Lagos state, Akinwunmi Ambode, is getting tough on street selling, leaving Mama Biliki and others like her with an uncertain future. “I appeal to the government to allow us to hawk on the streets since we don’t…
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the President Mohammadu Buhari-led administration is on the right track and there is no alternative to what it is doing. The minister stated this at a meeting with the members of staff of the Nigerian Embassy in Madrid, Spain. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was on the sideline of the minister’s two-day official visit to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). “I believe that we are on the right track, there will be some pains, but there is no alternative to what…
South African Rapper, Cassper Nyovest has dished out the official music video of ‘Mr Madumane’ otherwise known as “Big $pendah.” Cassper Nyovest drops a message to the big spenders for National Savings month. With Kyle Lewis adding his touch of creativity on the video. Mr Madumane (Big $pendah) is a new track and music video created with Sanlam to encourage South Africans to live within their means. According to the award-winning rapper; “The person you are, with or without money, is the person you decide to be. What you spend doesn’t define you. You define you.” As a quick FYI…
Nollywood diva, Mercy Aigbe-Gentry is really on a roll this year. The savvy actress has just been unveiled as the brand ambassador of ICT company, Edalaf Brothers. Aigbe took to Instagram yesterday, July 26, 2016 to share this news with fans and followers. “Immensely honoured and grateful to God to be unveiled as the brand ambassador of ICT company, EDALAF BROTHERS ……. Keep your fingers crossed for more information on it,” she captioned a shot of herself signing the contract. Aigbe also unveiled plans this morning July 27, 2016 to launch her app next month. According to her, it would…