Arsene Wenger plans to give several of his top stars a short winter break this week by allowing them to skip Saturday’s FA Cup game at Preston, a club source has said. Mesut Ozil, who missed the team’s last two Premier League games with an illness, Alexis Sanchez and Laurent Koscielny are all expected to be rested against the Championship club, the source said. Wenger complained about the Premier League scheduling before and after Tuesday’s 3-3 draw at Bournemouth, their second match in three days, and is expected to be keen to give players a much-needed break after seeing them…
Author: David Folami
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has told NBC he will need time to achieve his targets with the Premier League side. Former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach Guardiola was appointed as City boss in the summer, taking over from Manuel Pellegrini. City, who won the Premier League in 2012 and 2014, are currently third in the table, seven points behind leaders Chelsea. Speaking in December, Guardiola said in quotes reported by The Times: “For the way they play, for the unpredictable things you cannot control, I will need more time to achieve what I want for my team. “That’s my…
Mauricio Pochettino has heralded Antonio Conte’s tactical nous and smooth transition to English football with Chelsea clear at the top of the Premier League. Pochettino’s Tottenham host Chelsea at White Hart Lane on Wednesday, aiming to stop their rivals recording a record-equalling 14th straight win and stretching their lead at the top of the table to eight points. Since losing 3-0 at Arsenal in September, Conte has switched to a 3-4-3 formation, with Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso as wing-backs, and Chelsea have not looked back, scoring 32 and conceding four — and they secured a 2-1 win over Tottenham…
Jurgen Klopp, the manager who has brightened the Premier League with his quick wit and off-beat remarks, displayed his dark side after Liverpool dropped two precious points at Sunderland. The 2-2 draw against a team struggling in the relegation zone was undoubtedly a setback for Liverpool because teams with title aspirations win at places like the Stadium of Light, as leaders Chelsea did just a fortnight ago. But goals from Daniel Sturridge and Sadio Mane proved insufficient as Liverpool twice squandered leads by conceding two penalties, converted with his customary coolness by Jermain Defoe. Klopp did not like what he…
Former Liverpool and Manchester United striker Michael Owen believes Kelechi Iheanacho has lost confidence under new Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Having gain promotion to the City first team in 2015, Iheanacho has continued to impress and currently has the best goal per minute ratio in the Premier League. The striker was handed a start in City 2-1 home win over Burnley but was hurled off at halftime after an unimpressive performance. Speaking as a pundit during the game, Owen opined that Guardiola is not getting the best out of the striker. “Iheanacho isn’t the same player he was once,”…
Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has warned against military action in the Gambia following that country’s presidential election, saying such action could threaten the security of the entire sub-region. The warning is in a statement issued by the Senate deputy president’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr Uche Anichukwu on Tuesday in Abuja. Ekweremadu said such action could plunge the country into bloodletting and threaten the peace of the sub-region. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh lost to Mr Adama Barrow in the Dec. 1, 2016 presidential election but insisted that he…
Veteran Yoruba actress Toyin Majekodunmi, died today, Monday January 2, 2017. Her death was announced by Bimbo Success on Instagram earlier today. The cause of death of the actress, popularly known as Iya Kike is unknown. Majekodunmi was married to actor, Solomon Majekodunmi popularly known as ‘Baba Kekere’ for 37 years.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi state chapter, yesterday took a swipe at the 2017 budget presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that the budget lacked the potential to help Nigerians become self-reliant. According to Today, while speaking with journalists in Abakaliki, the state’s party chairman, Chief Onyekachi Nwebonyi, further noted that the 2017 budget is hopeless; stressing that 50 percent provision for debt services indicates that there is little or no attention to human capital development and infrastructural projects. “When the President was making his budget presentation at the National Assembly, his ministers were busy…
Governor Ayodele Fayose was recently spotted with Federal lawmaker representing Ogun East I in the House of Representative, Ladi Adebutu. The top members of the Peoples Democratic Party in South West were spotted together on December 30, 2016 at the Park Inn by Radisson in Abeokuta, Ogun State. According to sources, Adebutu was first spotted at the pool side of the hospitality outfit earlier in the evening before he was joined by Gov Fayose and his entourage later in the evening. Appearing simple, the two had several minutes to discuss and sources maintained the secret meeting is not unconnected with…
Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State have said that they will reduce the influence of National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the region. They also warned Tinubu not to impose James Faleke as a replacement for late Minister of State for Labour, James Ocholi. The Kogi West APC leaders made the comments via a statement released by Alhaji Suleiman Ejibunu and Chief Richard Asaje. The statement reads: “Faleke and his godfather, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu do not deserve any ministerial slot in Kogi State. Such a move may lead to the exit of every prominent, loyal…
A video which was released on Christmas day shows 19-year-old Kylie Jenner and 27-year-old Tyga at their most daring yet. A topless Kylie, standing in what looks to be an apartment, lights a cigarette to open the show, as sexy music by Niia fills the background. The reality star is then seen in the shower, wearing nothing but a wet T-shirt that emphasizes her admirable curves. She is later joined by her man who goes ahead to caress her entire body, leaving viewers shocked as they both end up stark naked as the short movie comes to an end. ‘It…
After days of trending on Twitter due to Nigerians’ disapproval of her lyrics, it is safe to say that Nigerians expect much more from Yemi Alade. In a recent survey conducted on Instagram and Twitter, 80% of the respondents picked Tiwa Savage over Yemi Alade attributing their choice to their disapproval of Yemi Alade’s lyrics. Do you agree with them?
If there’s one thing the world is familiar with at the beginning of every new year, it’s definitely New Year resolutions. There’s usually a thing or two we would like to change or work on to make the year a great one. This is why Accelerate TV went out to interview a couple of Nigerian celebrities such as Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Ajebutter 22, Niniola, Emma Nyra, Stephanie Coker, Aramide, Omalicha, N6, DJ Obi, Lami Phillips and many more to find out what their ‘New Year, New Me’ goals are. While some wanted to cut down on food and general expenditure, some…
Antonio Conte believes rival managers are complaining about Chelsea’s greater rest time during the festive schedule simply because they are frustrated by the blistering run of form that has taken the Blues clear at the top of the Premier League. Chelsea took maximum points from their six December fixtures to extend their winning streak in the Premier League to a record-equalling 13 matches. But the fact that they have often been given more time to recover than the teams in the chasing pack has sparked anger from some. Liverpool drew 2-2 with Sunderland on Monday, only 48 hours after beating…
Arsene Wenger blamed the Premier League scheduling for Arsenal’s poor start but admitted he must “shut up and cope with it” after they rallied from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday. Wenger said Bournemouth’s extra day of rest since the previous fixture was “too big a handicap” for his team, who looked to be heading for defeat until they struck three times in the last 20 minutes. The Cherries were 2-0 up after 21 minutes as Charlie Daniels scored and Callum Wilson converted a penalty, with Ryan Fraser making it 3-0 shortly before the hour. But…
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli has been in eye-catching form of late, scoring doubles in successive away wins — and Real Madrid are watching more closely than most, according to the Mirror. It says the La Liga leaders “are considering a stunning summer swoop” for England international Alli, who could follow in the footsteps of former Spurs stars Luka Modric and Gareth Bale by moving to the Bernabeu. Although Real are serving a one-window transfer ban, they would be able to make a move at the end of the season and would have to pay around £50 million for Alli,…
There are unconfirmed reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had met with ex-governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole over a possible appointment in his cabinet. Daily Trust reported that Oshiomhole visited the President, where they both met behind closed-doors inside the President’s Office at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, January 3, 2017. Speculations that the President met with the two term ex-Governor over a possible appointment is coming following his speech when he visited Edo State in November 2016. Buhari had reportedly said: “It will be a pity to waste his energy by him retiring. I hope…
Nigerians have advised president Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack Babachir Lawal, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation over alleged mismanagement of funds allocated to the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE).] Lawal, the SGF allegedly received N200m bribe from Josmon Technologies Ltd, a company he gave contract to clear grass in Yobe state. The Nigerian Senate had also called for Lawal’s resignation or sack after the Upper Chamber accused him of failing to account for N2.5 billion PINE fund. Although President Buhari was reported to have removed Mr Lawal from the presidential committee on the reconstitution of federal…
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai, on Tuesday said Nigeria would deploy 800 soldiers to the United Nations Mission (UNAMID) in Dafur. Buratai made the disclosure at the Nigerian Army Peace Keeping Centre during the graduation of 755 soldiers and 45 officers that participated in the pre-deployment training in Jaji, Kaduna State. The army chief, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division, Maj.-Gen. Adeniyi Oyebade, said Nigeria would continue to deploy quality peacekeepers as part of its contribution to global peace and security. He tasked the personnel to discharge their duties in consonance with…
The Northern Governors Forum (NGF) on Tuesday said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in 2015 saved Nigeria from going into extinction. The Chairman of NGF and Borno Gov. Kashim Shettima said this when he led a delegation on a courtesy call on Sen. George Akume; Tor Tiv V, His Royal Majesty Prof. James Ayatse, and Gov. Samuel Ortom in Makurdi. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other governors on the delegation were Mohammed Abubakar and Abdullahi Gunduje of of Bauchi and Kano states, respectively. Shettima described the outcome of the 2015 general election as the watershed in the…