Despite spending 20 years in charge of Arsenal, there has often been a measure of uncertainty around Arsene Wenger’s contract situation. For all the stability he’s brought, there have been times when renewing has gone down to the wire. The lure of Europe’s biggest clubs was always a threat during the first 10 years of his Arsenal career, but having committed to the new Emirates stadium project, the Frenchman signed an extension in 2007 to bring him to 2011. In 2010 he signed an extension to 2014, and those four years were ones in which frustration with Wenger grew. Financially…
Author: David Folami
Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho both found the back of the net as Nigeria defeated Zambia 2-1 to top Group B in their third-round World Cup qualifying campaign. Arsenal midfielder Iwobi opened the scoring for the Super Eagles in the 32nd minute, firing into the bottom corner following a knockback to net his first international goal. And Manchester City striker Iheanacho then doubled Nigeria’s lead 10 minutes later as he latched onto a through ball before rounding the keeper and slotting home. Collins Mbesuma pulled one back for Zambia in the 71st minute, but the visitors were able to hang…
Bayern Munich coach Carlo Ancelotti has leapt to the defence of his former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, calling him the “most complete” defender. Ramos has come in for criticism from sections of the Spanish media after conceding his fourth penalty of the season in Spain’s 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw with Italy on Thursday. The defender vowed to silence his critics after the game, and Ancelotti has since come out and backed his ex-Madrid player. “Ramos? He only provides experience, quality, character and trophies… does that seem enough to you?” Ancelotti joked to Marca. “You can’t argue about Sergio…
Bayern Munich defender Holger Badstuber has criticised Pep Guardiola for not showing any interest in him during his time at the Bundesliga club. Although Badstuber spent much of the three years of Guardiola’s reign sidelined by injury and despite the Catalan branding him one of the best central defenders in the world, the 27-year-old says he is only now starting to realise how he almost felt abandoned. Under Carlo Ancelotti, Badstuber is still not playing due to injury, but he says he is at least talking to the coach. “Our current coach likes to exchange opinions with the players, and…
Everton manager Ronald Koeman has revealed how he helped teach a young Pep Guardiola during their time together at Barcelona. Koeman will come up against Guardiola when he takes his side to Manchester City next Saturday and he has spoken ahead of the match about how he took the Catalan under his wing when he was promoted to the first team at Barcelona. “[Then-Barcelona boss Johan] Cruyff had seen this young player in the academy, seen him develop into a decent player in the reserves and he thought the time was there to draft him into the first-team squad,” Koeman…
The All Progressives Congress has praised Senator Oluremi Tinubu for pushing for a special status for the state. The Lagos APC’s comments were made via a statement released by spokesman, Joe Igbokwe. The statement reads: “The rejection of the bill in the senate does not mean the end of the agitation, which unarguably will impact positively on every Nigerian and the country’s economy if passed by the legislature.” “We therefore urge the Senate to see beyond personal interests and see the need for the bill’s reintroduction and its passage. We are surprised that at a time the country’s economic wellbeing…
The outgoing Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole has said despite the fact that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost in the Edo election, it did not deserve the number of votes accrued to its candidate. Oshiomhole said PDP’s Osagie Ize-Iyamu “is not worth 50,000 votes,” adding that the number was profited from the electoral fraud perpetrated by the PDP. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Godwin Obaseki was declared winner of the September 28 election, but the PDP rejected his victory, claiming it was a case of “daylight robbery.” The state chapter of the PDP had on Monday, October…
Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers has said that supporters of his administration will resist any attempt from any quarters to rig the rerun elections in the state. Wike made the disclosure at the commencement of the Bonny Jetty reconstruction project at the Bille/Bonny/Nembe Waterfront in Port Harcourt on Wednesday. He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was plotting to rig the senate and state assembly rerun elections tentatively scheduled for October. “The plan of INEC and its cohorts to transplant the Edo State rigging model in Rivers State will fail, the people of the state will resist them. “Anyone…
Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has said that he doesn’t belong to any political party. Obasanjo made the comment while receiving members of the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association (NACTOMORAS) in Abeokuta, Ogun state. “I am happy to be your grand patron. Let me also say that I am here by a bit of luck, because day before yesterday I was supposed to have travelled to Sweden, but at the airport, after I was checked in with boarding pass, the plane decided to leave without taking me along. God did not want me to go and I…
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, October 6, 2016, praised his predecessor Goodluck Jonathan for putting “prophets of doom” to shame over the 2015 election. Buhari, who spoke at the Leadership award ceremony in Abuja recalled that various predictions about the disintegration of Nigeria after the election did not come to pass because of Jonathan’s patriotism and the impartial role played by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Buhari said: “I am most delighted to be part of this occasion organised by the Leadership Newspapers Group to honour Nigerians who have excelled in their chosen fields of endeavour. “Let me hasten…
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state has expressed his support for Chairman, John Oyegun. Chief Francis Inegbiniki urged APC leader, Bola Tinubu not to direct his anger over the Ondo governorship primaries at Oyegun since he isn’t a candidate. Inegbiniki made the comments via a statement issued in response to Tinubu’s call for Oyegun’s resignation. The statement reads in part: “It is unfortunate that our national leader, whom we all respect so much and Timi Frank, have asked Oyegun to resign from office, without disclosing the offence that he committed to warrant his resignation.” “Our…
Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has said that he’s yet to decide who will take over from him. Okorocha however added that he will not be succeeded by his deputy, Eze Madumere. The governor made the comments on Thursday, October 6, during the launch of a book titled: “Eze Madumere: A True Manifestation of a Loyal Prince” in Owerri. “I have not decided who will be the next Governor of Imo state. I want to also tell you that, this is not a launch for a path for Madumere as the incoming governor of the state,” he said according to…
John Oyegun, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to allegations levelled against him by the party’s national leader, Bola Tinubu. “Oyegun has dealt a heavy blow to the very party he professes to lead. It is an awful parent who suffocates his own child for the sake of a few naira,” Tinubu said in a statement on Sunday, September 24, 2016. Oyegun, in a statement issued on Friday, October 7, 2016, however, described the allegation as reckless and baseless. “This reckless and baseless corruption allegation levelled against me is unfortunate and an insult to my person and…
Peoples Democratic Party candidate at the recently held Edo Governorship election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has said he has been instructed by God to recover his stolen mandate. In a report by TheCable, Ize-Iyamu, who reportedly joined the protest against the Edo governorship election on Friday, October, 7, 2016 addressed protesters in Benin, capital of the state saying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) robbed him of victory. The Governorship candidate maintained that the alleged robbery of the Edo people’s mandate is obvious as he had been seeking God’s intervention in the past few days. He further said his supporters had refused…
President Buhari recently played host to the Imam of the Mosque of the Holy Prophet in Medina, Sheikh Abdul-Muhsin Muhammad Al-Qassimi, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. While speaking to the Imam, the President admitted that it is not easy to lead 180 million people comprising of different ethnic groups. This was revealed to newsmen by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Buhari, Garba Shehu. Buhari said “God knows best. A population of 180 million people comprising more than 300 ethnic groups, many of them with cultural ties stronger than religion, can only co-exist peacefully in an…
President Buhari has said that military force will be applied if the bombing of oil pipelines in the Niger Delta continues. He said his administration’s aim to seek peaceful ways of resolving the grievances of the people of Niger Delta. Buhari said “Recently, we flagged off the Clean-up of Ogoniland as part of the programmes to salvage the ravaged environment. We are convinced that undertaking such a monumental project will contribute to addressing the root causes of militancy in some parts of the Niger Delta region. However, for the avoidance of doubt let me state that other options are still…
The Rivers state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) tried to shoot Governor Nyesom Wike. Governor Wike had gone to stop the arrest of a Federal High Court judge by operatives of the DSS in the early hours of Saturday, October 8, 2016. The party also referred to the security agents as rogues, adding that their actions were a reckless aggression towards Rivers state. The PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah also called on Rivers indigenes to be calm in the face of what he described as unprovoked attack. Speaking…
Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River has said that he was called by God to govern Cross River to provide needed dividends of democracy to the people. Ayade made the statement on Friday while addressing thousands of supporters who came to receive him at Margaret Ekpo International Airport in Calabar on arrival from Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the supporters besieged the airport in solidarity with Ayade ahead of the Dec. 9 Supreme Court judgement in a case of alleged falsification of his age. The case was instituted by Mr Joe Agi, Senior Advocate of Nigeria.…
Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has threatened to arrest herdsmen in the state who flout his directive of not wandering with their cattle around the state. Umahi made the threat in Abakaliki on Saturday while inaugurating a committee to check disputes between communities and herdsmen, saying that he had given the last warning on the issue. He said that the committee had enormous task because of incessant cases of cattle moving around in the state and destroying crops and others agricultural produce. “Cattle must be in one location and the owners should search for food to feed them because our…
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachukwu, has assured Nigerians of the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to build a solid structure for the country. Kachukwu stated this at the 2016 Convocation of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta, on Saturday. He said that there was no doubt that the country was passing through a difficult phase due to dwindling oil revenue but that Buhari was working hard to lay a sustainable foundation for the country. “I must say that Mr President is putting in place solid foundation such that if the country gets out of this…