Yesterday, December 7, 2015, Ile-Ife in Osun State, witnessed a large turnout of prominent celebrities as the newly installed Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) was presented with the staff of office and instrument of appointment. Nollywood stars were also not left out as they stormed Ife in droves to honour the 40-year-old king. The actors in attendance include Yinka Quadri, Taiwo Hassan aka Ogogo, Kunle Afolayan, Abbey Lanre, Bukky Wright, Lola Alao, Muka Ray Eyiwunmi among others.
Author: David Folami
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho thinks owner Roman Abramovich will stand by him during his toughest times. The champions, who are 14th, have lost eight of their 15 Premier League matches so far, are yet to clinch Champions League last-16 qualification and are out of the League Cup. Asked why he would be retained, Mourinho said: “Because I think I did lots of good things for this club. “I don’t think the owner is a person to change with the wind.” The Portuguese, who won his third league title with the club last season, added: “Abramovich believed in me twice: one,…
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand summed up their Champions League exit as “embarrassing”. Ex-United striker Michael Owen said the club has gone backwards under manager Louis van Gaal and former midfielder Paul Scholes called them “average”. The trio were speaking after a 3-2 loss at Wolfsburg sent United to the Europa League. “This is a worse squad now. The players Louis van Gaal has let go would beat tonight’s team,” said Owen. United’s defeat in Germany meant Wolfsburg finished top of Group B, while PSV Eindhoven, who beat CSKA Moscow, reached the last 16 as runners-up. Van Gaal has…
Manchester United’s comeback to the Champions League was regarded as the positive start to manager Louis van Gaal’s first season at Old Trafford. After the terrible decision to appoint David Moyes as successor to Sir Alex Ferguson, the former Netherlands coach brought a measure of stability, albeit without silverware, and a place in the Premier League’s top four. It has proved an inglorious, embarrassing return to Europe’s elite tournament; United not even stuttering out of the group stage after defeat by Wolfsburg in Germany on Tuesday. It will come as a huge surprise to United’s hierarchy, as well as Van…
Manager Louis van Gaal said “facts” proved his Manchester United side were better than last year, after they were knocked out of the Champions League. United failed to qualify for the last 16 after a 3-2 defeat at Wolfsburg. Van Gaal said qualifying for the group stage, progressing further in the Capital One Cup and sitting fourth in the Premier League showed their improvement. However, he said: “I cannot defend myself because we are out of the Champions League.” United are fourth in the Premier League, having finished in the same position in Van Gaal’s first season. The former Netherlands…
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal found himself under attack from all sides on Wednesday following his team’s meek group-phase elimination from the Champions League. A picture of the Dutchman sitting in the dug-out with his head in his hands during Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat at Wolfsburg adorned several back pages, The Times branding United’s exit “Embarrassing, Amateurish, Excruciating”. Van Gaal was already under fire over United’s boring brand of football, amid a run of five 0-0s draws in 10 games, and the club’s former players did not hold back in their assessment of the latest setback. “United just look like…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic set a brand new record as Paris Saint-Germain finished their Champions League pool phase on a positive note in beating Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday. Brazilian Lucas Moura broke the deadlock on 57 minutes before record goalscorer Ibrahimovic set the seal on their group A victory with the second four minutes from time. But with Real Madrid thumping Malmo 8-0 in Spain, PSG finished three points back in second and risk a tough draw in the last 16 where the likes of champions Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City lurk. “The draw will…
Raheem Sterling celebrated his 21st birthday with a fantastic brace as Manchester City secured top spot in Champions League Group D by overpowering in-form Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-2 on Tuesday. With 10 minutes left City trailed, goals from Julian Korb and Raffael having cancelled out David Silva’s 16th-minute opener, but a stunning late surge by the hosts saw Sterling strike twice in two minutes to put City in charge before substitute Wilfried Bony added a fourth. It lifted Manuel Pellegrini’s side above Juventus, beaten 1-0 by Sevilla in Spain in the other group game, and meant that Gladbach missed out on…
Louis van Gaal says he is unable to defend himself following Manchester United’s Champions League exit, but he insists Machester united are improving under his tenure. United crashed out with a 3-2 defeat at Wolfsburg, who made club history by reaching the knock-out stages as Group B winners. PSV Eindhoven’s 2-1 win at home to CSKA Moscow allowed the Dutch to claim second place at Manchester’s expense as third-placed United now drop into the Europa League. The Red Devils suffered a repeat of their 2011/12 European campaign when defeat in their final group game at FC Basle also denied them…
World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo claimed Real Madrid fans should get off coach Rafael Benitez’s back after a record equalling 8-0 thrashing of Malmo in the Champions League. Ronaldo set a brand new record for goals scored in the Champions League group stage by scoring four against the Swedish champions on Tuesday to take his tally in this season’s competition to 11. Madrid have now won five consecutive games since being embarrassed 4-0 at home by eternal rivals Barcelona last month, but many of the home fans still booed Benitez at the Santiago Bernabeu. Benitez was also in…
PSV Eindhoven may have enjoyed greater evenings of European club competition success but coach Philip Cocu described Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over CSKA Moscow in the Philips Stadium as “an extraordinary night”. The win ensured they became the first Dutch club to reach the knockout stage since they last achieved the feat in 2007, finishing second in Group B behind VfL Wolfsburg but above Manchester United, who they beat at the start of the group phase. “The players went to the brink. They showed how strong they are all mentally. This is what you work for, these precious moments you must…
Liverpool’s injury-plagued forward Daniel Sturridge has sustained a hamstring problem likely to keep him out for a few weeks, according to widespread British media reports on Wednesday. The 26-year-old has only recently recovered from knee and foot injuries and has made only three appearances for new Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who was appointed in October, as a result. The last of those, a substitute appearance in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United, is thought to have resulted in a hamstring strain. But media outlets said Sturridge would be unfit for “weeks rather than months”. Speaking last month, Klopp said that…
Barcelona forward Neymar was named La Liga’s “Player of the Month” for November on Tuesday, making IT the very first time anyone from the club has won the award since its introduction in September 2013. The Brazil forward scored five goals in three games during the month, including doubles against Villarreal and Real Sociedad and one against Real Madrid in the ‘Clasico’, and leads the overall scoring chart with 14 goals in 13 appearances. Shockingly, Barca’s four-times World Player of the Year Lionel Messi has never won the award, while his great rival, three-time World Player Cristiano Ronaldo of Real,…
Barcelona forward Neymar was named La Liga’s “Player of the Month” for November on Tuesday, making IT the very first time anyone from the club has won the award since its introduction in September 2013. The Brazil forward scored five goals in three games during the month, including doubles against Villarreal and Real Sociedad and one against Real Madrid in the ‘Clasico’, and leads the overall scoring chart with 14 goals in 13 appearances. Shockingly, Barca’s four-times World Player of the Year Lionel Messi has never won the award, while his great rival, three-time World Player Cristiano Ronaldo of Real,…
Bayern Munich will be missing their goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for Wednesday’s Champions League clash at Dinamo Zagreb with Pep Guardiola’s Bavarian giants already in the knockout phase. Bayern already won their group weeks ago and Guardiola has opted to rest Neuer, with former Stuttgart goalkeeper Sven Ulreich due to play only his second competitive game for the German champions. “Manu has played all the games this season, not only for Bayern Munich, but also for the national team,” said Guardiola ahead of the flight to Zagreb. “We are already through, so I want to see Sven play and give Manu…
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted his team have a big hurdle to overcome on Wednesday if they want to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, but the Frenchman is confident. The English Premier League side have to beat hosts Olympiakos by at least two clear goals — or beat them by one but by scoring at least three times — to go through. But the in-form hosts are unbeaten in their domestic league and beat Arsenal 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium in September. “If you want to jump a hurdle, you do not think what happens if…
Current UCL holders Barcelona suffered an injury blow on Tuesday as Brazil star Neymar limped out of training ahead of his team’s Champions League clash at Bayer Leverkusen. “During training this evening, Neymar suffered a small muscle injury in the abductor of his left leg,” Barcelona said in a statement ahead of Wednesday’s match. “The development of the injury will determine his availability for the upcoming games.” The 23-year-old is expected to be absent against Leverkusen, but of more concern for Barca is whether he will be ready for the Club World Cup with the Catalans set to play their…
Bayern Munich’s chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has criticised Manchester United coach Louis van Gaal over comments he made about the Bastian Schweinsteiger’s current form. “I’m a bit disappointed with Louis, he should leave Bastian alone. He was the one who definitely wanted to sign him,” Rummenigge told German magazine Sport Bild. “Bastian needs a bit of time (to adjust). “You can’t just give a veridct on him already.” Before the start of the season, Schweinsteiger left Bayern after 14 years to join United, where his ex-Munich coach Van Gaal is the manager and he wanted Germany’s captain in the Red Devils’…
Arsenal defender Mathieu Debuchy wants to discuss his future with manager Arsene Wenger before the January transfer window as he looks to earn his place in the France squad for Euro 2016. Debuchy has played just seven times for his club this season due to a series of injuries and the emergence of youngster Hector Bellerin. The 30-year-old was not included in the France squad which played Germany and England last month and Debuchy is concerned by his lack of first-team action. “We talked about my situation in pre-season, I haven’t talked to him recently, but we’ll talk before the…
Manchester United crashed out of the Champions League on Tuesday with a 3-2 defeat at Wolfsburg, who made club history by reaching the knock-out stages. German Cup holders Wolfsburg advanced to the last 16 for the first time as Group B winners thanks to their come-back win at the sold-out Volkswagen Arena. The defeat puts United manager Louis van Gaal under pressure with his side now winless in their last four games. PSV Eindhoven’s 2-1 win at home to CSKA Moscow allowed the Dutch to claim second place at Manchester’s expense as third-placed United now drop into the Europa League.…