Everton manager Ronald Koeman says he wants to strengthen his squad in January following the news that forward Yannick Bolasie requires knee surgery. Bolasie is travelling to London and is expected to have an operation next week after damaging ligaments in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Goodison Park. “It is a big loss for everybody, firstly himself, his team-mates and the club because he is an important player,” Koeman told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s Premier League trip to 11th-placed Watford. “The operation will be next week. It is a big disappointment for everyone.” The Dutchman has…
Author: David Folami
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has offered his support to Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho ahead of the team’s trip to Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday. Mourinho was sent off for kicking a water bottle down the touchline against West Ham United at Old Trafford last month, and served a one-match FA ban for improper conduct. The suspension was his second of the season, but Pochettino said Mourinho was being singled out while other managers were going unpunished because they attracted less scrutiny. “I have a good relationship with (Mourinho) but I try to be objective too,”…
Antonio Conte’s Chelsea juggernaut rolls back into action against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday with the Premier League leaders chasing a ninth consecutive win. Chelsea produced the most impressive display of their winning streak last weekend when they came from behind to win 3-1 at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. They have not won nine successive league games within the same season since 2007 and ahead of West Brom’s visit, Marcos Alonso has urged his team-mates not to let their level drop. “Winning game after game gives you confidence, but you have to keep working,” the Spanish wing-back told the Chelsea…
Antonio Conte has called on Chelsea to underline their status as favourites for the Premier League title with an dominant display against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Conte’s side are three points clear at the top after a blistering run of eight successive victories including last weekend’s impressive triumph at title rivals Manchester City. The Blues have scored 22 goals and conceded just two in their winning streak, but Chelsea boss Conte believes he will have a clearer picture of his team’s title chances at the end of the busy Christmas programme. Pointing out to his players that Chelsea started…
Italian striker Stefano Okaka’s first two Watford goals inspired a 3-2 comeback win over Everton on Saturday, leaving Ronald Koeman’s side with one win in 10 Premier League games. Romelu Lukaku scored twice for Everton, bookending the scoring, but Okaka’s double — the first a brilliant flick — and a Sebastian Prodl header earned Walter Mazzarri’s men victory. It was Watford’s first win over Everton since a 2-1 success in March 1987 and took them above the Merseyside club in the table, putting them level on points with Manchester United. Everton have gone five games without a win and now…
Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius to “close his ears” to criticism ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with West Ham. Bournemouth clinched a dramatic 4-3 victory over Liverpool last weekend after Karius fumbled a shot from Steve Cook in stoppage-time which allowed Nathan Ake to bundle the ball into the net. Karius, who joined Liverpool from Bundesliga outfit Mainz in May, displaced Simon Mignolet as Klopp’s first choice and is set to keep his place at Anfield this weekend despite the costly mistake. “I heard the criticism was very harsh. When we analysed the game I found…
Cristiano Ronaldo shrugged off allegations that he hid millions of euros in tax havens by insisting “he who owes nothing, fears nothing”, Spanish radio reported on Thursday. “You believe I am worried? He who owes nothing, fears nothing,” said the superstar after being approached by Portuguese TV station RTP to respond to the allegations after Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday evening. An international consortium of media organisations last week claimed that a huge data leak involving 18 million documents showed the Portuguese skipper hid €150 million from image rights in the British Virgin Islands. Ronaldo,…
The Ekiti state chapter of the APC has slammed Governor Ayo Fayose for wearing army camouflage when he went to present the 2017 budget at the House of Assembly. According to Daily Post, the APC also described the Governor’s mode of dressing as a collective insult and embarrassment to the people of Ekiti. The party also said a Governor of his calibre is not supposed to behave the way he did, especially in a democracy. The Ekiti APC spokesman, Taiwo Olatunbosun said “We have always insisted that Fayose is a law unto himself and a threat to democracy in Nigeria,…
Tekno is out with a new song titled ‘Rara’. The ‘Pana’ hit singer reflects on the state of Nigeria on this record, stepping away from the party songs. Listen and share.
Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has made peace with APC. Saraki fell out with the APC after he emerged Senate President on June 9, 2015, despite being excluded from contesting by the party. The disagreement was resolved at a peace meeting between Saraki and the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) on Wednesday, December 7, 2016. “We are here to listen and we are at your service at all times. Thank you sir,” Saraki said at the beginning of the meeting pledging his loyalty to APC Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun. Saraki later told journalists that a frank discussion was held and both…
Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi has advised his supporters to return violence for violence during the upcoming rerun elections in Rivers state. Amaechi, a former governor of the state, made the comment on Thursday, December 8, during an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in the state. “This is what I called “elections of our lives. I used to tell you” please don’t fight”. But I think we will bend it a bit. Don’t kill anybody but don’t be killed. My friend in the army told me if bullet is fired, the person that hears the sound is not the one…
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has said that he was more popular than other governor-members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during his tenure as Rivers State Governor. Amaechi made the comment on Wednesday, December 7, after his arrival in PH City ahead of the December 10 rerun elections in the state. “During my tenure as governor, l never abused the office. The office of the governor is sacred and should be respected in all ramifications,” he said. “When I was governor, I had over 75 per cent support from Rivers people and other Nigerians resident in the state. l…
Dance Nation is set for what will be known as the largest dance conference in 2017. In line with this, Dance Nation’s creative director J. Lyn Thomas – who is already in Lagos – will be at the event to hold master classes for professional dancers. Only 25 spots are left for the free classes organised for professional dancers only and holding December 14 and 15 at the CDW in Surulere. Among other things, Thomas will talk about how the new generation of Nigerian music is making waves in America, and what she thinks of its future. Attendees will be…
Bella Hadid just covered the latest issue of PAPER magazine, the same tabloid that published the famous Kim Kardashian nude in its ‘Break the Internet’ edition. Apart from freeing the nipple and revealing her pierced nipple in the cover story, Bella revealed some surprising details about her career, including the fact that she was originally rejected from the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2015. ‘I was really surprised, but definitely excited,’ she said about finding out she’d been cast this year. ‘I tried last year [to be cast in] the show, but I think everything happens for a reason.’
Nigerian rapper and comic act, Falz has signed a deal to be the brand ambassador of Blackberry Messenger. His new deal comes about two months after he was made the brand ambassador of betting company, Merry Bet. It adds to what has been a productive 2016 for the rapper, which has also seen him remain an ambassador for telecommunications company MTN. He also released the EP, Chemistry, with Simi which has been well received, and is in line for a number of awards at the 2016 Headies following his six nominations. The 26-year-old has even seen himself become the topic…
With Adam Lallana now fully fit following a groin injury picked up on international duty, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has an interesting decision to make this weekend. Does he bring the 28-year-old back into the starting line-up for the visit of West Ham this Sunday, or does he stick with the midfield pairing of Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum in front of the deep-lying Jordan Henderson? Despite the disappointing 4-3 defeat to Bournemouth last Sunday, both Can and Wijnaldum played fairly well: The German even got on the scoresheet with a terrific strike that should really have settled the game…
Kelechi Iheanacho has said Sergio Aguero has backed him to take his place during his four-game Manchester City suspension. Aguero was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Chelsea defender David Luiz in City’s defeat on Saturday. He will miss the Premier League matches against Leicester City, Watford, Arsenal and Hull City and will not be available until the game at Liverpool on Dec. 31. And Iheanacho, who scored in City’s 1-1 Champions League draw with Celtic on Tuesday, revealed Aguero had spoken to him and given him confidence that he can lead the attack in his absence. “Before we…
Back in the heady days of August, with Jose Mourinho giving bold news conferences that seemed to herald a return to the glory days of yesteryear, this probably isn’t the season that most people at Old Trafford envisaged. Manchester United are 13 points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea, having drawn six and won just one of their last eight league games. As they prepare to face Zorya Luhansk in their final Europa League group game, they must contend with the reality that it is now only cup competitions which carry a realistic chance of glory. Given the huge sums that…
A spokesman for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank has said that Chairman, John Oyegun is responsible for the crisis in the party. Frank made the comment on Thursday, December 8, via a statement in reaction to an APC peace meeting involving Senate President, Bukola Saraki. The statement reads in part: “It is a shame for Chief Oyegun to go back to his vomit having been used to create some of these confusion earlier which are now beyond his capacity to redeem. This is a National Chairman who did everything possible to ensure that Bukola Saraki, who is now…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the upcoming Rivers South East senatorial district rerun election, Senator Magnus Abe says Governor Wike wants to rig. According to Vanguard, Abe said the Rivers Governor and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are training returning officers in a hotel in Abia state. The Senator said “We are becoming very concerned about the activities and linkages that we are seeing between the PDP and the INEC. We just received a report this evening that the INEC Collation and returning officers were being trained at the Dangreet Hotel in Umuahia in Abia state and…