In her first interview after childbirth, Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh revealed that she’s no longer an artiste signed under Dbanj’s DB records. She explained that, ‘D’banj is a very sweet person. I think he’s one of the best people I’ve known on earth and that’s no joke. I love him so much as my brother, but we couldn’t work it out business wise’. D’banj has now revealed what happened in a recent interview with Punch. He said, ‘I had a meeting with my team last year and I told everyone of them, my producers, songwriters and artistes that this year,…
Author: David Folami
Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has said he considered joining Manchester United, although he has not thought about a move to Chelsea this summer. Ramos, 30, was linked with a move to United last summer, but he ultimately signed a new five-year contract at the Bernabeu. Asked if there was an official offer from United, Ramos told COPE: “Yes.” Pressed on whether he thought about leaving Real, the centre-back added: “For a moment I thought about a change of scenery, but in the end my priority was always Real Madrid and I thought about that for other reasons.” It has…
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says that Danny Ings and Emre Can have not yet been ruled out for the remainder of the season. Ings was signed from Burnley on a Bosman last summer — the compensation fee for the move has yet to be set by a tribunal — but suffered a cruciate knee injury in October that put him on the sidelines for at least six months. Can was ruled out for up to six weeks with ruptured ankle ligaments suffered in Liverpool’s dramatic Europa League win over Borussia Dortmund, Ordinarily that would end the Germany international’s domestic season…
Arsene Wenger has his eyes on a top-three finish in the Premier League as he looks to avoid the lottery of a Champions League playoff. The Gunners travel to struggling Sunderland on Sunday and sit third heading into the weekend after beating West Brom 2-0 on Thursday night. While their own title bid collapsed amid a poor run of results after the turn of the year, a 20th consecutive season of Champions League qualification is now looking likely for a club whose business model has relied upon it for some time. But Wenger wants to finish third, with Leicester and…
Louis van Gaal would see this season as a success if they fell short in the race for Champions League qualification but won the FA Cup. Life after Sir Alex Ferguson has so far proved difficult at Old Trafford, but David Moyes’ successor began brightly enough as United finished fourth in his first season at the helm. Van Gaal’s second campaign has been less comfortable, though, and missing out on the Champions League looks a distinct possibility, despite having recently reduced the gap to the top four to two points. Those recent improvements have done little to dim the noise…
While the worm may be turning, albeit slowly, for Van Gaal, the same cannot be said of Everton manager Roberto Martinez, who is living through the blackest days of his Goodison Park tenure. A run of seven games without victory in the league has definitively ended Everton’s European ambitions and Wednesday’s 4-0 thrashing at Liverpool left the Spaniard looking exposed. Martinez has tasted FA Cup glory once before, memorably leading Wigan Athletic to a shock 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the 2013 final, and he has called on his players to re-focus as quickly as possible. “We need to…
Chasing a gilded finale to a difficult season, Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United face an Everton team reeling from Merseyside derby humiliation in Saturday’s first FA Cup semifinal at Wembley. Van Gaal found himself back in the media’s crosshairs following a 3-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, but not for the first time this season, his side responded with a timely burst of wins. Victory at West Ham United in their FA Cup quarterfinal replay provided the spur for back-to-back league wins over Aston Villa and Crystal Palace that have bolstered United’s quest for Champions League qualification and…
Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has set his sights on scoring 100 goals for the club after he reached the half century mark in the 4-0 Premier League thrashing of city rivals Everton on Wednesday. Sturridge, who joined the Anfield side from Chelsea in 2013, reached the milestone in his 87th game for the club, with only Albert Stubbins (77 games), Roger Hunt (79) and Fernando Torres (84) taking fewer appearances to notch 50 goals. “It has been a good time since I’ve been here and it is great to get to 50 goals. I won’t play it down and say…
Liverpool fans should raise the roof for returning manager Rafa Benitez when he brings his relegation-threatened Newcastle United to Anfield on Saturday, says Jurgen Klopp. “He’s a very successful manager, nice person! Be louder than you have ever been — that’s absolutely okay. That’s how I would say hello to a good old friend,” Klopp, hoping to emulate Benitez’s success at Liverpool, told a news conference. “He still lives around here, nobody has to ignore this wonderful moment. Do how you feel!” Spaniard Benitez spent six years at Liverpool and famously took them to the Champions League title in 2005…
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique insisted Lionel Messi will be 100 percent fit to face Sporting on Saturday despite suffering a series of knocks in Barca’s 8-0 hammering of Deportivo la Coruna. “He didn’t have much luck with the blows in the game the other day, but he trained today and is in perfect condition,” said Enrique on Friday. Luis Suarez led Barca’s stunning return to form with four goals and three assists on Wednesday following a run of three straight La Liga defeats for the first time in 13 years. “It is a perfect result which reinforces us and came…
The Champions League has not been a distraction for Manchester City in the Premier League, manager Manuel Pellegrini said after his side’s erratic performances continued in Tuesday’s draw with struggling Newcastle United. City, on a four-game unbeaten streak this month, won just two of their seven league games between February and March, a run which left them out of the title race. With the first leg of their Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, City, in fourth place and two points ahead of Manchester United with four games left, play Stoke City on Saturday.…
Barcelona presented plans for the extensive renovation of their Camp Nou stadium on Thursday that will see the capacity of Europe’s biggest stadium extended to 105 000 and an open facade to allow views across the city. “It will be a unique stadium,” said club president Josep Maria Bartomeu at the presentation inside the stadium attended by the first-team squad. “It will be an open and attractive Camp Nou that will be a new icon in Barcelona.” Work will begin in 2018 with the new features not due to be completed until 2021, as Barca plan for the majority of…
Having scored four and provided three assists as Barcelona roared back into form with an 8-0 thrashing of Deportivo la Coruna in midweek, Luis Suarez has refused to contemplate any other outcome than Barca retaining their La Liga title. The Catalan giants lead Atletico Madrid solely thanks to their superior head-to-head record with Real Madrid just one point back in third with four games to go. However, having taken just one point from their previous four league matches, Suarez believes Barca are fully back on course for a 24th La Liga title. “We needed that victory. We came off the…
Luis Suarez has hit back at critics who blamed Barcelona’s dismal recent run on Neymar’s form. The Uruguay international scored four times and set up another three as the Liga leaders thrashed Deportivo La Coruna 8-0 to end a run of three consecutive defeats in the top flight. Neymar was singled out for criticism in Spain as Barca allowed Atletico Madrid to draw level on points at the top of the table and knock the holders out of the Champions League, but Suarez insists that their form is down to the collective. “When things are going badly we all take…
Cristiano Ronaldo could stay on at Real Madrid and finish his glittering career at the club. Ronaldo has been a subject of transfer speculation linking him with a move to Paris Saint-Germain. Real Madrid according to the transfer reports were looking cash in on Ronaldo to fund a big transfer before their transfer ban begins in January 2017. In a new turn of events, Real Madrid are set to offer the 30-year-old a new deal that could keep him at the club until he is 35. Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez and Spanish forward Isco are now the likely players that…
Diego Simeone has been the driving force behind Atletico Madrid’s resurgence in recent years, sporting director Jose Luis Caminero believes. An Atletico legend after captaining the club to a famous La Liga and Copa del Rey double in 1995-96, Simeone’s hero status at the Vicente Calderon has grown further thanks to his achievements since taking over as coach in December 2011. The Argentinian has guided Atletico to Europa League and Copa glory, as well as the league title and Champions League final in 2013-14. Simeone signed a new long-term contract with Atletico last year, but is consistently linked with managerial…
Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane accepted that Cristiano Ronaldo’s desire to play every game can be an issue and only rates the forward as “day-to-day” to play Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday. The Portugal international will miss Saturday’s La Liga encounter at Rayo Vallecano due to a thigh problem, but the prolific attacker would have played had the decision been up to him. Zidane revealed Madrid would not have allowed him to take the field even if the Rayo game had been the Champions League final, but feels the 31-year-old’s hunger remains mainly a good thing…
Luis Enrique has dismissed any concerns over the fitness of Lionel Messi ahead of Barcelona’s clash with Sporting Gijon on Saturday. The Argentina star is reported to have been limited in first-team training since the 8-0 thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna on Wednesday. There had been fears Messi could be forced to sit out some of the Liga title run-in, but Luis Enrique says he is fully fit to face Abelardo’s side. “Messi is in perfect condition. He took a knock against Depor. He trained well and is ready for tomorrow,” the Barca boss said on Friday. Looking ahead to…
Jamie Vardy’s absence for Premier League leaders Leicester City could have a big impact, says Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino, although he prefers to focus on his side’s Monday night clash with West Bromwich Albion. Tottenham reduced Leicester’s lead to five points with a 4-0 victory at Stoke City on Monday, and will hope the Foxes struggle without Vardy when they host Swansea City on Sunday. “I think that it’s a big impact for Leicester because Vardy is one of the best players in the Premier League. “Sure, it’s a big impact for them,” Pochettino said at his Friday news…
Goal drought of Nigerian striker, Odion Ighalo is a source of worry for Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores ahead of their Premier League clash with West Brom. Ighalo has scored 14 league goals this season while his strike partner Troy Deeney has scored nine. These goals have helped solidified Watford’s league status this season in 15th position in the table. “It is clear. The second half of the season we have problems to score – I try to support the strikers because Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo are amazing players and have a lot of responsibility,” the coach said. “In…