Liverpool will have to beat Hoffenheim in a two-legged playoff to reach the group stages of the Champions League. The draw was made in Nyon on Friday with Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino’s former club Hoffenheim, who finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season, drawing Jurgen Klopp’s side out of the hat. Champions Route: Qarabag vs. Copenhagen APOEL vs. Slavia Prague Olympiakos vs. Rijeka Celtic vs. Astana Hapoel Be’er-Sheva vs. Maribor Liverpool boss Klopp cannot wait to return to Germany to face Hoffenheim, but he knows they will provide a tough test for his side. “Very interesting,” Klopp told Liverpool’s official…
Author: David Folami
Neymar says he is not happy that some Barcelona fans are angry with him for moving to Paris Saint-Germain, but defended his decision to leave by saying that “no one is forced to stay in a place.” The transfer drama dominated headlines over the past two weeks before finally coming to a close on Thursday with Neymar signing a five-year deal after buying out his Barcelona contract’s release clause for a record €222 million. Soon after the initial reports emerged of Neymar’s interest in PSG emerged, 87 percent of respondents to an online poll in Spanish newspaper Sport thought he…
Cristiano Ronaldo has given signs he would like to return to England after revealing his anger over an investigation into his tax returns, according to Spanish newspaper Cadena Ser. Ronaldo, who played for Manchester United between 2003 and 2009, has denied charges of evading tax and keeping details of his income from the Spanish tax authorities. Prosecutors allege Ronaldo evaded €14.7 million (£13.1m) in tax. The 32-year-old is still saying that, contrary to the argument of the Public Prosecutor, the transfer of his image rights to a company he owned took place in 2004 and not in 2010 just after…
Barcelona trainer Ernesto Valverde says the club must move on following the exit of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain. Neymar left Barca in a world-record transfer deal worth €222 million and although Valverde wanted him to stay he insisted the future is bright. “Everybody is free to choose their destiny,” Valverde said. “He has chosen his own and we wish him luck. “We would have liked him to stay here, but we have to turn the page. Barcelona will face Chapecoense in the Joan Gamper Trophy on Monday and then battle Real Madrid over two legs in the Spanish Super Cup…
Kylian Mbappe has not asked to exit Monaco, according to the club’s vice president Vadim Vasilyev, who says the 18-year-old striker “has to move for sporting reasons.” Mbappe has been linked with Real Madrid, Manchester City and most recently Barcelona, but played for Monaco in their opening fixture of the Ligue 1 season yesternight. Saying to reporters after that game, Vasilyev appeared to admit the player is likely to move in this summer. “Mbappe will make the right decision,” he said. “He has never expressed a wish to leave us. We are, however, in conversation with him and contrary to…
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has refuted reports that Eden Hazard could end up joining Barcelona and saithe Belgian winger is “very happy” playing for the London club. Hazard has been one of a number of key players linked with Barcelona following Neymar’s exit for Paris Saint-Germain, but Conte is as sure as anything that players are more likely to arrive at Chelsea than depart. “We are trying to buy the players, not to sell them,” Conte told a news conference. “Otherwise the number is always less and we are in trouble. “I think these are rumours and Eden is very…
Despite his inability to feature in PSG’s season opener against Amiens, Neymar was showcased to Paris Saint-Germain supporters at Parc des Princes on Saturday — once the crowd finally stopped chanting his name. French DeeJay Martin Solveig set the tone for the party mood in the French capital with a prematch treat as fans sat down patiently waiting for a glimpse of the €222 million man. They finally got their wish just over an hour before kick-off as Neymar followed chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi onto the pitch with fireworks going off as he emerged from the players’ tunnel. Facing…
The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegn says President Muhammadu Buhari came to power ‘when Nigeria was about to collapse.’ Oyegun said this at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, August 3, 2017, when he received political leaders from Delta Central Senatorial district who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. “Economically, things are difficult, there is no question about it. But in spite of that people of your quality sat down and still want to join the boat, because you have seen the future and you know the future belong…
President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki has said he was a full member of All Progressives Congress (APC) and remained there “body and spirit’’. Saraki said that the speculations thay he was not were part of the mischievous activities against him and urged the public to ignore them. He said that those going about with such information were doing so as propaganda for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Saraki, however, blamed the rumouur on inactivity in the APC, saying that the party’s leadership had failed to focus it properly. “I think there is no APC member that will tell…
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Prince Paul Ikonne has accused the former governor of Abia state, Orji Uzor Kalu of anti-party activities. Addressing journalists, Ikonne said despite Kalu’s defection to the APC, the former governor still mix socially with members of the People Democratic Party (PDP). “Remember that when some people said they have joined the APC, I raised serious concern because of the antecedent of such individual especially the former governor of Abia state, Orji Uzor Kalu. Those things I predicted have started playing out. “Orji Kalu is hobnobbing with Okezie Ikpeazu the governor of Abia…
Nigeria and Indonesia are set to strenghten their relations, especially in the areas of sharing information on national planning and development as well as trade and investment. Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, Minister of Budget and National Planning, said this in a statement by James Akpandem, Media Adviser to the Minister on Friday in Abuja. Udoma said both officials talked at length on areas of common interests between their two countries and agreed that a more profound bilateral relationship would be beneficial to both nations, especially on a technical level. He said Nigeria valued its relationship with Indonesia and feels aligned…
The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has blamed President Muhammadu Buhari for the gap in the operations of the Nigeria Police Force. Akiolu said the military government under Muhammadu Buhari between 1983 and 1985 was not fully committed to the funding of the police. The monarch, who is a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, said this on Friday, August 4, 2017 at a seminar organised by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, in Lagos. He said, “The military killed the efficiency and effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force. The problem of the police started with Buhari in 1984 when…
The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has said the Police Force as well as the National Security Council are analysing threat messages from separatists groups in Nigeria. The IGP made this known in Lagos during a working visit to The Nation’s corporate head office on Friday, August 4, 2017. “We have the National Security Council in place chaired by the Acting President. We have been meeting and analyzing each of these threat messages from separatist groups. We have to analyse the pros and cons. As you are aware, the police are on top of the situation.” Continuing, Idris said:…
More than 6,280 ghost workers and pensioners have been identified by the Local Government Staff and Pensioner Audit Committee set up by the Governor of Enugu. The ghost workers will be probed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). “A committee headed by the speaker of the state house of assembly discovered 2,818 ghost workers in the nominal roll of local government council’s staff and another 3,462 ghost pensioners,” he said. He said that the ghost workers and pensioners had been shipped out from the nominal rolls of local government councils and pensions board. The commissioner…
The governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, has said President Muhammadu Buhari is not bedridden even though he’s really sick. Ortom said this on Thursday, August 3, 2017 while speaking on his encounter with Buhari when he accompained some governors to see him in London. The governor, who remained adamant that the president was mentally alert throughout the period of his meeting with the governors, believes Nigerians and public office holders should continue praying for the president. He said: “I was the first person that initiated prayers and I shouted halleluyah when I saw him because God has answered my…
Bayelsa state Senatorial rep, Ben Bruce, has said Nigeria is in trouble as the country has not made any progress in the past two years. In an interview, Bruce said this is one of the reasons Senators need to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari when he comes back to discuss the problems facing the country. “Nigeria has not really made any progress in the last two years. I think we are in big trouble right now. When the president gets back, we would need to sit down with him and have a conversation. There is no point having a conversation…
An online job listing and casting site, Auditions NG, has named Ramsey Nouah and Tope Oshin as helpers for its premiere Acting Masterclass. The event will create opportunities for role-play. Talents will get free headshots and also be promoted on the Auditions.ng platforms. With over 20 years experience, Ramsey Nouah will share his knowledge as an actor with talents. Some of his works include “Silent Night,” “Figurine,” “76” among others. Tope Oshin is a multiple award-winning filmmaker, who has worked on productions like “Hotel Majestic,” “Fifty,” “Amaka’s Kin,” “Tinsel,” “Evol,” “Hotel Majestic” among others. Oshin and Ramsey Nouah also starred…
Sarkodie is here with a new rap jam ‘Kankpe’ featuring Patoranking. The song is blessed with Jazz instrumentals that makes it a modernized beat. Patoranking does most of the work on the song with Sarkodie giving him that much room to do his thing on the song.
Another fresh season of Funke Akindele’s “Jenifa’s Diary’ is set to debut on Sceneone TV and the actress took to social media to promote the season. A follower, who is obviously not a fan of the award-winning TV series asked the filmmaker to do something fresh, as he was tired of the series. Akindele had a response different from the popular “go and shoot your own.” She simply told the fan to stop watching the series. In June, another follower had asked the actress why the character Jenifa is yet to start speaking good English. The actress simply said, “that’s…
Burna Boy recently promised gus fans via Twitter to release a new single every Friday for the next three weeks. To fulfil this he unveils this new single entitled ‘Chillin chillin’ which features A.I of 2Legit Records.