Everton manager Roberto Martinez accused Chelsea’s players of trying to sway the referee during a bad-tempered 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge. . Willian’s late winner came after Gareth Barry’s red card and a fracas in which Branislav Ivanovic escaped censure for a clash with Everton’s James McCarthy. . “It’s very clear that what the home team are trying to do is influence the referee,” Martinez told BBC Sport. . Mourinho cut short his BBC interview when asked about Chelsea’s discipline. . A game that looked destined for stalemate came to life in the closing stages after Barry was shown a…
Author: David F.
Juan Cuadrado has revealed that the opportunity to play under Jose Mourinho was a major incentive behind his move to Chelsea. . After drawn out negotiations, the Colombian finally arrived at Stamford Bridge on deadline day from Fiorentina in a £26.8m deal. . The winger had also been closely watched by Manchester United who were interested in signing him last summer. . But Cuadrado believes Mourinho is the perfect manager to develop his career and fulfil his ambitions. . And he hopes he can add further Premier League and Champions League titles to the Portuguese coach’s collection. . “Jose Mourinho…
The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals came to a fitting end Sunday in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea with out- of- contract Nigeria Manager, Stephen Keshi reckoning that Super Eagles could have made a massive impact if the team had participated in the tourney. Nigeria won the trophy for the third time in South Africa in 2013 under Keshi. But two years later, still under the Big Boss, the same team failed to qualify for the tournament’s finals in Equatorial Guinea where they could have defended their crown. Contract renewal row between the former Nigeria captain and his employers, NFF was…
The trip of the first batch of highly qualified Nigerians for match reading and backroom analysis technique programme in the United Kingdom is assured, as sponsors Taleveras Foundation on Monday released the cheque for the amount of money to cover the trip and the programme. . Chief Executive Officer of Taleveras Foundation, Mr. Igho Sanomi said on Monday in Abuja that his organization was extremely proud to be involved in a process meant to facilitate the rapid development of Nigeria football. . “We are doing this based on our belief that the potential is there for Nigeria football to be…
Stephen Keshi would be announced as the head coach of the Super Eagles in a matter of days, Complete Sports can report. . Indication to this effect emerged yesterday after the technical and development sub-committee of the Nigeria Football Federation met in Abuja to deliberate on Keshi re-engagement and other programmes of the federation. . Chairman of the committee, Felix Anyansi told the media after the meeting that they have recommended to the board of the NFF for approval or otherwise stressing that they have completed their assignment on the Super Eagles. . He said that there is nothing wrong…
West Bromwich Albion striker Victor Anichebe is a serious doubt for today’s clash against Swansea after suffering a groin problem in the warm up at Burnley. . Anichebe played through the pain at Turf Moor but only lasted 18 minutes before he was replaced by substitute Saido Berahino. . The 26-year-old front man has been a regular starter under Pulis and with Albion’s lack of forward options, his latest injury is far from ideal. . Top scorer Berahino and Brown Ideye whose equaliser on Sunday earned the Baggies a point, are the remaining options in attack to face Gary Monk’s…
Recalled strikers Brown Ideye and Saido Berahino scored as West Bromwich Albion beat Swansea City 2-0 on Wednesday to move four points clear of the Premier League relegation zone. . The two strikers were both drafted into the starting XI after coming off the bench in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Burnley and they repaid manager Tony Pulis’s faith with a pair of second-half goals. . Victory left West Brom four points above the bottom three in 14th place, while Garry Monk’s Swansea remain ninth after only a third league defeat in nine games. . Nigerian striker Ideye, West Brom’s £10…
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew’s early reunion with his former club Newcastle United ended in stalemate as the two sides played out a 1-1 draw in their Premier League match at Selhurst Park on Wednesday. . Papiss Cisse put the visitors in front just before the interval but Fraizer Campbell earned a share of the spoils 20 minutes from the end. . In a largely scrappy and fairly unmemorable encounter, Palace failed to capitalise on their lion’s share of possession and saw their run of three wins out of four come to a stuttering halt. . On top for much…
Queens Park Rangers midfielder Leroy Fer has been ruled out of action for up to 10 weeks with a knee injury, the Premier League strugglers said on Wednesday. . The 25-year-old Dutch international opened the scoring in Rangers’ 2-0 win at Sunderland on Tuesday, their first away victory of the season, before leaving the field on a stretcher 15 minutes from time. . “He is likely to be sidelined for up to eight to 10 weeks,” QPR said in a statement on their website (www.qpr.co.uk). . Rangers, without a permanent manager after Harry Redknapp quit last week, are fourth-bottom of…
Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero said Barcelona are not the formidable force of recent seasons and the English Premier League side will face them without fear in their Champions League last 16 clash. . The Argentine says that the reported problems at the Catalan club after the Christmas break, including an alleged bust-up between coach Luis Enrique and Lionel Messi, has given the City players confidence. . “I think we have (lost any fear), especially as a result of what happened at Barcelona this winter that everyone is talking about in Spain,” Caballero told Spanish newspaper Marca. . “They are…
West Ham held on for a 0-0 draw at Southampton on Wednesday despite playing the final 29 minutes with 10 men following the dismissal of goalkeeper Adrian. . Sam Allardyce’s side looked in trouble when Adrian saw red for handling outside the penalty area, but the east Londoners battled gamely for a point that keeps them in contention for a place in Europe. . It was a frustrating night for Southampton, who dominated possession at St Mary’s but couldn’t break down the visitors’ stubborn rearguard. . Ronald Koeman’s team dropped to fourth place as a result and are only one…
Manchester United defender Chris Smalling scored a rare brace to give his side a 3-1 victory over Burnley that lifted back into third place in the Premier League on Wednesday. . With United owners Avi and Joel Glazer making one of their infrequent appearances at Old Trafford, struggling Burnley briefly threatened to spoil the party when Danny Ings equalised the first of Smalling’s headed efforts. . But Smalling netted again before Robin van Persie’s late penalty kept United on course for a place in next season’s Champions League. . Smalling made the most extraordinary impact on the game, a mere…
Manchester City showed their defence of the Premier League title isn’t over just yet as Sergio Aguero’s double inspired a 4-1 win at Stoke that kept the champions in touch with leaders Chelsea on Wednesday. . A miserable run of five games without a win in the absence of key midfielder Yaya Toure, on African Cup of Nations duty with the Ivory Coast, had cast doubts over City’s ability to close the gap on Chelsea. . But Aguero’s brace and strikes from James Milner and Samir Nasri gave City their first league win at Stoke in 16 years and kept…
Brazilian midfielder Willian scored an 89th-minute winner as Chelsea edged Everton 1-0 on Wednesday to preserve their seven-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. . With City 4-1 up at Stoke City, the defending champions looked poised to trim Chelsea’s lead to five points, only for Willian to break Everton’s resistance with a crisp low strike at Stamford Bridge. . Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho handed a full debut to January signing Juan Cuadrado, but in the ongoing absence of suspended top scorer Diego Costa, his side struggled to break down Roberto Martinez’s Everton. . The…
France star Zinedine Zidane has warned his current club Real Madrid to take nothing for granted when they face Germany’s Schalke 04 in the last-16 of the Champions League. . Title-holders Real could be forgiven for expecting little opposition in Gelsenkirchen for the first-leg on February 18 with the return in Madrid on March 10. . Carlo Ancelotti’s Real inflicted a record 6-1 defeat on Schalke at exactly the same stage of the competition last season. . Madrid ran riot at the Veltins Arena as Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo each scored two goals as Schalke were hammered…
Former Nigerian winger, Clement Temile has tipped the Elephants of Ivory Coast as favourites to win Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final in Equatorial Guinea. . The Elephants are billed to confront four-time Afcon winners, the Black Stars of Ghana in an epic final at Bata Stadium, Bata, Equatorial Guinea. . Temile said Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana among others were favourites for the Afcon crown prior to the commencement of the biennial football showpiece but the Ivorians by dent of hard work now stand out as indisputable favourites to win their second Afcon title in Equatorial Guinea on Sunday. . “Ivory…
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is expected to hand coach Stephen Keshi a new deal in a matter of days. . The football federation says it is still in talks with Keshi to tie the loose ends of the contract. . The NFF Technical and Development Committee has proposed to the federation’s executive committee that Keshi’s contract should be renewed. . Chairman of the technical and development committee, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, disclosed that the committee he chairs has “made recommendations to the (executive) board.” . Anyansi-Agwu also believes that Keshi’s return to the head coach role of the Super Eagles is…
Former champions Werder Bremen battled relegation for the first half of the Bundesliga season but a four-game winning streak, including Sunday’s 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen, has turned their campaign around. . Werder’s fine run of form has moved them up to eighth in the standings, with new coach Viktor Skripnik re-instilling a winning mentality at the 2004 German champions. . Under Skripnik, who took charge in late November and is assisted by former Bremen midfielder Torsten Frings, Werder have won five of eight league games, losing two and drawing one. . “We are now in an attractive position,” Skripnik…
Fourth-placed Augsburg will be without captain Paul Verhaegh for “some weeks” after the defender picked up a calf muscle injury in the 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt, the Bundesliga club said on Monday. . The 31-year-old Dutch defender had to be taken off after 18 minutes on Sunday as surprise packages Augsburg squandered a two-goal lead against Frankfurt and missed the chance to go third. . “More tests will be needed on Tuesday after Monday’s examinations revealed a serious muscle injury,” Augsburg said in a statement. . “Augsburg will have to do without him for some weeks. The exact duration…
Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng Monday had a three-match ban reduced to two games, and there was more good news for the champions with Franck Ribery and Rafinha returning to training. . The German Football Federation (DFB) disciplinary panel said it took account of a new regulation allowing a lower punishment for fouls early in a game which are were not regarded as severe. . The Germany international was shown a red card for a professional foul against Sidney Sam in the 17th minute of last Tuesday’s 1-1 draw against Schalke in the Bundesliga. . Bayern appealed the three-match ban,…