Chelsea will be without Spain striker Diego Costa and Belgium playmaker Eden Hazard for the home derby with West Ham United on Saturday because of suspension and injury respectively. Costa is banned after being sent off in last weekend’s FA Cup quarterfinal defeat by Everton. Hazard, who missed the game at Everton with a thigh problem, is again sidelined for the Premier League fixture with fifth-placed West Ham and has also been left out of Belgium’s squad for the March 29 friendly against Portugal. “Eden has discomfort in a tendon in the muscle from his upper thigh,” Chelsea’s interim coach…
Author: David Folami
Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho’s stylish goal earned Liverpool a 1-1 draw at Manchester United on Thursday as Jurgen Klopp’s men eliminated their arch foes from the Europa League. Trailing 2-0 from last week’s one-sided first leg, Louis van Gaal’s United claimed a foothold in the last-16 tie when Anthony Martial won and scored a 32nd-minute penalty to restore hope at Old Trafford. But Coutinho’s goal on the stroke of half-time knocked the wind from the hosts’ sails and sent Liverpool through with a 3-1 aggregate victory, leaving the FA Cup as United’s last chance of salvaging a piece of silverware…
European soccer body Uefa opened disciplinary proceedings against Manchester United and Liverpool on Friday after fans clashed and threw objects during a Europa League tie at Old Trafford. Uefa said in a statement that Manchester United faced charges of crowd disturbances, blocked stairways and the throwing of objects by supporters at Thursday’s match. Liverpool, who progressed to the quarterfinals 3-1 on aggregate after Philippe Coutinho cancelled out Anthony Martial’s penalty opener to secure a 1-1 draw in the second leg, faced more charges. They were listed as illicit chants, the setting off of fireworks, throwing of objects, crowd disturbances and…
Jurgen Klopp’s Europa League nightmare came true on Friday when his Liverpool side were drawn to meet former club Borussia Dortmund in next month’s quarterfinals. Sevilla, bidding to win the trophy for the third successive season, will tackle La Liga rivals Athletic Bilbao while Villarreal take on Sparta Prague and Braga face Shakhtar Donetsk. After Liverpool knocked out bitter rivals Manchester United on Thursday, Klopp told reporters: “I hope we don’t get Dortmund”. The charismatic German spent seven seasons at Dortmund, leading them to two Bundesliga titles, German Cup glory and the 2013 Champions League final where they lost to…
Zinedine Zidane’s ten-time winners Real Madrid and the Champions League’s runaway top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo (13 goals), drew Germans Wolfsburg, with the added comfort of playing at home in the second leg against the quarter-final débutants. “We can’t wait” said Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking. “For Wolfsburg, the fans and the club it’s a wonderful draw. Real Madrid are a massive side but you’ve always got a chance.” The two legs of the quarter-finals will be played between April 5-13, with the semi-finals on April 26/27 and May 3/4. The final will take place in Milan on May 28.
Having overcome Juventus in a dramatic come back in midweek five-time European champions Bayern Munich will have been relieved to have drawn Portugal’s Benfica. Bayern winger Franck Ribéry warned there was no room for complacency even if the Germans, led by Pep Guardiola in his last season before a switch to Manchester City, are unlikely to lose any sleep over the pair up. “We will have to remain very focussed, it’s the quarter-finals, you don’t take these matches lightly. After the group games you never have an easy match,” said the Frenchman. “We need a good result in the first…
In another tantalising pair up new money outfits Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain face off after Swedish giant Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s side toppled Chelsea in the last round. It is a first ever quarterfinals for City. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi seemed convinced his up and coming side can get to their first semi-final in twenty years. “In the quarter-finals there are only good teams left. We have enormous respect for Manchester City, But I believe our players will produce another big European performance. I’m convinced we can keep up the pace that saw us overcome Chelsea and offer our supporters a…
Holders Barcelona and their feared attacking trident drew fellow Spaniards and 2014 finalists Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last eight on Friday. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, Barcelona’s feared attacking trio, will seek revenge for their 2-1 aggregate quarterfinals exit at the hands of Diego Simeone’s formidable charges two seasons ago. “With Atletico Madrid everything is complicated,” said Barcelona representative Javier Bordas, who was in Nyon for the draw. “Their strengths are well known. They are water-tight at the back and can hurt you in attack,” he said of the side who have shipped just three goals in…
Jurgen Klopp will head back to Dortmund for the Europa League quarterfinals after his Liverpool side were drawn with former club Borussia on Friday. Three-time champions Liverpool, who previously won the competition in 1973, 1976 and 2001, will travel to Dortmund for the first leg of the quarter on April 7. Their last Europa victory in 2001 ironically came at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion. Klopp, who left Germany in July 2015, led Dortmund to the 2013 Champions League final, one of the highlights of his seven years in charge of the Bundesliga club alongside a domestic double in 2012. Four-time winners Sevilla,…
Manager Manuel Pellegrini believes his Manchester City side will benefit from going into Sunday’s Premier League game at home to neighbours Manchester United with an extra 48 hours rest behind them. City reached the Champions League quarter-finals by eliminating Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday while United were knocked out of the Europa League two days later by bitter rivals Liverpool. “If you have 24-48 hours more rest it’s important, it’s not a decisive thing for the game but you can prepare better,” Pellegrini told reporters on Friday. “That’s the problem with the Europa League. You play on Thursday, it’s not easy…
Following Ibe Kachihwu’s statement on the plans in place for the oil sector of the country on Monday, March 14, 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that his administration is focusing on reducing cost and encouraging oil exploration. Read: Nigeria to begin exportation of petroleum, petrochemical products in 4 years Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo who represented Buhari at the opening ceremony of the African Petroleum Congress and Exhibition (CAPE VI) said that the FG has started working on increasing the country’s oil production by 30% in the next few days. Nigeria, which currently produces about 2.2 million barrels of crude…
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, March 17, paid tribute to late Minister of State, Labour and Employment, James Ocholi, describing him as an “epitome of civility, archetype of intellectualism and the paragon of loyalty.’’ In the tribute issued in Abuja, Buhari further described Ocholi as one of his right hand men in the quest to reposition Nigeria for the betterment of all citizens. The president maintained that Ocholi had taught many, including himself, fidelity, commitment and loyalty to party, to government, and to God. Buhari, who said that a lot had been said about Ocholi and a lot more would…
The embattled National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, has asked for a change of judge in his N400million scam trial. Metuh, through his lawyers asked the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Justice Ibrahim Auta, to transfer his case from Justice Okon Abang to another judge. Justice Abang said the Chief Judge informed him of a petition written against him on the ground that refused to avail Metuh’s lawyers the records of the court, thereby denying them the inalienable right of appeal. In the petition, the judge was also accused of bias in some…
The Chief of army staff, on Thursday, March 17, likened the size Sambisa forest, stronghold of the Boko Haram terrorists, to Enugu State. While speaking at the headquarters of the 82 division of the Nigerian army in Enugu, Buratai said it will require thorough logistics and adequate manpower to completely dislodge the sect from the forest. “We are already in Sambisa forest, but Sambisa is as big as Enugu state, which needs thorough planning for logistics and other manpower needed,” he said. “That accounts for the delay in flushing out the insurgents.” The military chief also said the alleged killings…
Nigerian politicians are most difficult in the Former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega has described Nigerian politicians as the “most difficult to deal with in the world.” He said the politicians are at their best when it comes to scheming and actualizing their goals by “hook or crook”. According to Daily Post, Jega stated this on Wednesday, March 16, at Chatham House in London during an interactive session after delivering a lecture titled: “Challenges of Modernising Election Processes: the Nigerian Experience.” “When I was vice-chancellor, I thought students were the most difficult to deal…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has decried the postponement of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Area Council election from March 19 to April 9. This is contained in a statement issued by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh on Wednesday in Abuja. It stated that there was no valid reason for the shift, except that the PDP and its candidates were more popular and set to sweep the polls. Metuh, however, said that PDP members and supporters “are fully mobilised and ready for the elections. It is obvious that we are winning; the people are with us.’’ He also…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state has listed 24 sins committed by former President, Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Nyesom Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the state. The list was compiled by the Rivers APC in a bid to discourage voters from casting their votes for the PDP in the March 19, 2016, State and National Assembly rerun elections. The sins, contained in a statement released by Rivers APC Chairman, Davies Ikanya on Wednesday, March 16, are as follows: 1. President Jonathan failed to muster the courage and political will in a PDP-controlled National Assembly to see…
All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dakuku Peterside has condemned the upsurge of political violence in the state. Peterside further described the killings in the state as barbaric, horrendous and inhuman. The APC candidate made the comments during a chat with Vanguard. “Some politicians in Rivers state believe they must get power at all cost and that is the root cause of the insecurity in Rivers state today. People are slaughtered, beheaded, burnt, clubbed to death daily in the state and nobody is saying anything about it,” Peterside said. “The state government has gone to sleep when…
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Sani Bello has summoned Security Chiefs in the city, urging them to step-up their surveillance in the city. The closed door meeting held on Wednesday, 16 March, 2016, according to a statement signed by FCTA Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Hazat Sule was to assess the general security situation as the FCT Area Councils’ Election approaches. The FCT Security Committee held the meeting at the Banquet Hall, FCT Minister’s Residence, Gwarinpa I District, Abuja, where the Minister, presiding over the meeting said all outfits must strategize on how to nip in the…
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff has said that the party will regain its lost glory. Sheriff made the remark on Wednesday, March 16, 2016, during a visit to Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko. “Since I took the mantle of leadership of our great party, I have been working assiduously to make PDP a strong and united party once again,” Sheriff said. “My efforts have been yielding positive results as evident in the level of success we have recorded in recent re-run elections in the country,” he added. Sheriff’s appointment as chairman in February has split the PDP…