Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his arrival in English football with an 83rd-minute winner as Manchester United edged Leicester City 2-1 at Wembley on Sunday to win the Community Shield. The former Paris Saint-Germain striker had a quiet game, but he outjumped Wes Morgan to head home Antonio Valencia’s cross and earn Jose Mourinho his first piece of silverware as United manager. Leicester talisman Jamie Vardy had earlier punished an error by Marouane Fellaini to cancel out FA Cup match-winner Jesse Lingard’s first-half solo goal for United, who claimed a record-extending 21st Community Shield. “It’s an important victory, but we have lots…
Author: David Folami
Patoranking delayed the release of his debut album because he was unsure of himself and his level of penetration in Nigeria. In a press parley conducted by his PR team, Patoranking spoke about the new album, the circumstances surrounding the release of the project, and the various backstories which led to the creation of the album. The singer had on August 1, 2016, dropped his debut album “God Over Everything”, two years after he broke through with his single ‘Alubarika’. He talked of the concept guiding the album creation, tying it into his origin and more. On his delay, Patoranking…
A failure to sign Paul Pogba could lead to an unhappy dressing room at Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand has warned. Jose Mourinho’s side are reportedly willing to pay Juventus €120 million to lure the France international back to Old Trafford, but the Serie A club have dug their heels in over the deal’s value. United were thought to be keen on striking a deal before Sunday’s Community Shield against Leicester City, but they are yet to make a breakthrough. And Ferdinand is concerned that United players who have been expecting to line up alongside Pogba could become disillusioned if the…
Former Liverpool star Luis Suarez is confident Jurgen Klopp can lead the Anfield side back into the Champions League in the upcoming Premier League season. Liverpool last featured in European club football’s elite competition in 2014-15, when they failed to qualify for the knockout stages from a group with Real Madrid, Basel and Ludogorets. They had to settle for eighth place in the table last term as they missed out on European football altogether, but Suarez feels his former team will soon be back at the highest level. “The last few months, everybody saw a really good performance from Liverpool,”…
Enrique Cerezo has dismissed suggestions Atletico Madrid are keen to re-sign Chelsea striker Diego Costa ahead of the 2016-17 campaign. The Spain international, 27, departed the Vicente Calderon in 2014 and helped Chelsea to a Premier League and League Cup double in his first season. Costa struggled for form and fitness as Chelsea’s title defence fell apart last season, though, and he has been heavily linked with an Atleti return throughout the close season. However, president Cerezo says Atleti – who reinforced their forward options with the signing of Kevin Gameiro from Sevilla in this window – are not planning…
Harry Kane scored twice as Tottenham thrashed Inter 6-1 in Oslo to end their pre-season campaign in stunning style. Spurs striker Kane’s first goal – a controversial penalty – was levelled by Ivan Perisic, but a brilliant long-range effort from Erik Lamela had Mauricio Pochettino’s men ahead at the break. Dele Alli and Kane increased Spurs’ advantage and the game was long over as a contest before substitute Vincent Janssen struck on 65 minutes and youngster Shayon Harrison put the icing on the cake late on. Spurs had lost their two previous pre-season games, but can now take momentum into…
After a hefty tackle by Danny Drinkwater, Luis Suarez was up and in the Leicester midfielder’s face. It might have been just a preseason friendly but the Uruguayan ran through his juiciest English vocabulary as he showed the midfielder just what he thought of the challenge. In two seasons with Barcelona, that side of Suarez has rarely reared its head. With one or two exceptions, he has seemed content and at peace in Catalonia. He has finally found a home that fits him and is no longer fighting to make it to the top because he’s made it. The Drinkwater…
Argentina president Mauricio Macri said he is certain that Lionel Messi will return to the Albiceleste before the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Messi made the shock decision to retire from international football following the penalty shootout loss to Chile in this summer’s Copa America final, Argentina’s third successive defeat in a major tournament final. New national coach Edgardo Bauza said this week it was his immediate priority to convince the five time Ballon d’Or winner to reverse this decision. He plans to travel to Europe soon to convince Messi to come back for September’s World Cup 2018 qualifiers against…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has said “every trophy is very serious” as Manchester United prepare to face Leicester City in the Community Shield on Sunday. The clash between Premier League champions Leicester and FA Cup winners United at Wembley offers Jose Mourinho the chance to win his first silverware as Old Trafford manager. And Ibrahimovic told MUTV: “That is the first trophy game — and that is the first trophy we will bring home. “For me, every trophy is very serious. I have collected 30 trophies, and I want to collect more of them. I’m not satisfied until I collect everything. That’s…
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho feels the kind of fairytale Leicester produced in winning the Premier League could only happen in English football — and that elite clubs elsewhere in Europe are more than happy with that. The Foxes, who face United in Sunday’s Community Shield at Wembley, created shockwaves last season as they became top-flight champions for the first time in their history. And Mourinho said on Friday ahead of the game: “This is the only country where everybody wants this to happen, and it’s the only country where the football structures allow this to happen. “In other countries…
Manchester City have signed Colombia winger Marlos Moreno from Atletico Nacional and sent him out on a season-long loan to Deportivo La Coruna. Moreno has signed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium. He told City’s official website: “City are one of the best clubs in the world. It will be nice to experience being part of such a big Club. I want to make the most of it. “Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. I think he likes young players very much and he can improve young players tactically and technically. It will be…
Arsene Wenger has insisted that “money is never a problem” for Arsenal in the transfer market but hinted that he will have to make do with the players he has for next weekend’s Premier League start. Wenger remains eager to sign a centre-back and a striker after only making one major signing this summer in midfielder Granit Xhaka. Arsenal’s options will be further limited for the game against Liverpool next Sunday as France duo Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny will not be available, but Wenger said he is struggling to find the right targets. Arsenal have been linked with moves…
The Lagos state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said Governors Ayo Fayose and Olusegun Mimiko of Ekiti and Ondo states respectively, have performed better that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state. The PDP said this in reaction to a recent poll result published by the African Leadership Magazine, which rated Ambode as the best performing Governor in Nigeria. The Lagos PDP Publicity Secretary, Gani Taofik, said rating Ambode as the best performing Governor is laughable. In a swift reaction, the Lagos state All Progressives Congress (APC) Publicity Secretary, Joe Igbokwe, said “The Lagos PDP will not acknowledge…
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has said that the feud between him and his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, is purely political. Speaking on Friday, August 5, at the 12 All Nigeria Editors Conference holding in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Governor explained that he and Amaechi, who is the Minister of Transportation differed politically because they belong to different parties. “There is nothing personal. We differ politically because we belong to different political politics,” he said. “We want peace in the state and it is my desire to ensure that the state is peaceful.” Wike also said that former president Goodluck…
The President’s wife, Mrs Aisha Buhari, arrived the United States today, Thursday, August 4, contrary to the allegations against her by Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, that she was wanted in the country over a fraud case. Fayose had alleged that there was a judgment against the President’s wife, on how she wired $170,000 to an American, Jefferson, who was convicted in the infamous $185 million Halliburton scandal. Mrs Buhari has since denied the claims and threatened legal action against Fayose if he did not retract the statement and tender a public apology. In fact, a former chairman of…
Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said he will not pay the salaries of the Local Government staff in Edo state. Oshiomhole said the Local Governments have autonomy, and it will not be right to pay their staff with tax payers money. The Edo Governor said this while meeting with members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employee (NULGE), who were protesting the non-payment of their salaries. He said the Local Government Workers’ Union have the responsibility to monitor the income their administrators generate. Oshiomhole also said “I want to say it clearly that the Edo State Government does not have…
President Muhammadu Buhari has called for stronger trade and economic relations between Nigeria and Italy. This is contained in a statement issued by Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity in Abuja on Thursday. The statement said Buhari made the call when Mr Paolo Gentiloni, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation paid him a courtesy call at the State House. The President said although relations between Nigeria and Italy were `very strong’, concerted efforts should be made to strengthen the ties. Shehu said Buhari commended the resilience of Italian businesses…
Mr Godwin Emefiele, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on Thursday, gave 600 bags of rice to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri. Emefiele, represented by Alhaji Ishaku Ibrahim, the Maiduguri Branch Comptroller of the CBN, said the token was a personal donation. The CBN governor said the gesture was designed to cushion the hardship of the vulnerable displaced persons who are in dire need of assistance. “We, therefore, call on the good people of Nigeria to rally round the Federal Government and insurgency-affected states to restore peace in the North-East. “Today, my family and I return to this…
Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed has said that President Muhammadu Buhari saved Nigeria from an economic meltdown. Mohammed also referred to the failure of previous governments to save for the future despite making a fortune off the country’s oil. The minister made the comments on Thursday, August 4, 2016, during the All Nigerian Editors Conference 2016 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Punch reports. “We must give hope to our people, while also giving encouragement to those who are working non-stop to revamp our economy. In one country that failed to save for the rainy day like Nigeria, citizens are now…
According to Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, no country in the world is free of corruption. Fashola also said that corruption is merely a symptom of the absence of law and order. The minister made the comments during a recent interview with Stephen Sackur on BBC’s HardTalk. “Well, I think that the clear evidence is that we have done better in the way that we enforce law and order,” Fashola said. “I think corruption is the symptom of the larger problem of non-compliance and therefore, I will focus on law and order and in such a way…