Arsene Wenger knows his side must avoid another irreparable first-leg loss at home in the Champions League on Tuesday, saying Arsenal “can’t be stupid” against Barcelona. Arsenal have lost badly in the first home leg in the round of 16 in each of the last three seasons, twice to Bayern Munich and last year to Monaco. That led to their elimination each time, despite 2-0 victories in the return legs at Bayern in 2013 and at Monaco in 2015. And when Barcelona and their attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez come calling, Wenger knows there’s no room…
Author: David Folami
Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal has told The Times he stands by his decision to turn down a move to Manchester United last summer. Vidal, 28, has been targeted by United in the past after his impressive form for Serie A champions Juventus. The Chile international ultimately left Juve for Bayern in 2015 for a fee of €37 million, and he has since proved to be a key player for the Bundesliga giants. “Yes, there was a chance to come to England,” Vidal said. “It was last summer, and at one point, we thought that is what would happen. “I…
Louis van Gaal has stressed the need for Manchester United to regain their fear factor. The Red Devils’ troubled campaign has taken further turns for the worse in their last two outings, with them being beaten 2-1 at Sunderland in the Premier League and then losing their Europa League last-32 first leg at FC Midtjylland by the same score. The latter game in particular highlighted how United — for so long seen both domestically and abroad as among the most daunting opponents a club could face — no longer seem to be perceived by anyone as an intimidating prospect. Van…
The Emirates FA Cup sixth round draw was made at Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening, with the competition heading into its quarterfinal stage. The draw sees Crystal Palace away to second-tier Reading, a club once managed by Eagles boss Alan Pardew. Chelsea, who beat an under-strength Manchester City 5-1 at Stamford Bridge, are away to Everton in a repeat of the 2009 FA Cup final which the Blues won during current caretaker boss Guus Hiddink’s first spell as interim manager. West Ham, who in Sunday’s opening fifth round tie saw off Championship Blackburn Rovers 5-1, will travel to the winners…
Chelsea’s interim manager Guus Hiddink spoke up for the FA Cup as “the temple of football” after his side crushed a virtually unrecognisable Manchester City 5-1 to reach the quarterfinals on Sunday. The Dutchman, who celebrated the final day of his first temporary stint at the Stamford Bridge helm by lifting the trophy after beating Everton 2-1 in the 2009 final, sent out a full-strength side to dismantle a youthful City. While his counterpart Manuel Pellegrini rested a clutch of top names such as Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling and handed out five senior debuts, Hiddink had clearly set his…
Manuel Pellegrini refused to apologise for his controversial decision to field a team of youngsters after Manchester City were dumped out of the FA Cup with a 5-1 thrashing at Chelsea. Pellegrini stood accused of disrespecting the famous old competition as he selected six teenagers, with five making their full debuts, and then watched them suffer City’s heaviest defeat since their Abu Dhabi-based owners bought the club in 2008. With City due to play their Champions League last 16 first leg tie at Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday and then face Liverpool in the League Cup final on Sunday, Pellegrini felt…
Kelechi Iheanacho could figure in Nigeria’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games against Egypt in March, supersport.com can report. Nigeria head coach, Sunday Oliseh, explained that he is considering the Manchester City striker on the strength of his recent performances for his club. The Super Eagles gaffer is also weighing up the option of making the trip to Manchester to have a face-to-face talk with the 19-year-old. However, Oliseh, 41, is yet to make his squad for the Afcon qualifying games against Egypt public but stated that he knows players he wants to call up for the double-header in…
Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty as Real Madrid’s hopes of catching La Liga leaders Barcelona were all but ended with a 1-1 draw at Malaga on Sunday. Madrid remain nine points behind Barca with 13 games to go after Raul Albentosa cancelled out Ronaldo’s opener. Atletico Madrid also failed to gain significant ground on Barca as they were held 0-0 at home by Villarreal to move eight points behind in second. However, Gary Neville’s upturn in fortunes as Valencia boss continued with a third win in a week, 2-1 at Granada. Zinedine Zidane’s men were left to rue Ronaldo’s miss…
Manchester United fans turned on their own team after a Europa League defeat to Danish minnows Midtjylland, chanting obscenities that under-pressure manager Louis van Gaal admitted were justified. United’s travelling support sang their displeasure as the 2-1 loss on Thursday evening dented the team’s best hope of returning to the Champions League next season. Midtjylland were Danish champions last year but had won just one of their previous ten fixtures and not played a competitive match since December. Van Gaal, whose team trail fourth-placed Manchester City by six points in the Premier League, had played up United’s “positive” start to…
Misfiring Manchester United must show some fighting spirit against third-tier Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup on Monday night if they want to avoid a second successive season without a trophy, defender Chris Smalling has said. The 20-times English champions sit six points off the top four in the Premier League, with their last two outings ending in damaging defeats that have cranked up the pressure on manager Louis van Gaal amid angry chanting from the stands. They lost to relegation-threatened Sunderland before Thursday’s 2-1 Europa League defeat by Danish club Midtjylland and Smalling wants a positive reaction from his…
Tragedy struck on Thursday in Ikorodu Local Government of Lagos State when a revenue officer with the council was electrocuted. The police spokesperson in Lagos, SP Oladapo Badmos, said in a statement on Friday that the victim, Mrs Toyin Ogunjebe, was electrocuted in her office at the council secretariat. ”She was taken to Ikorodu General Hospital where she was confirmed dead. ”Her corpse has been deposited at the hospital’s morgue for autopsy,” the statement said. According to the statement, the police Is investigating the incident.
A total of N381m has been recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC from three different accounts of the wife of ex-Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu. According to a report by The Punch, the sums of N180m, N101m and N100m, were recovered from three different bank accounts of a company which has Mrs. Omolara Amosu as a director and signatory. It was alleged that the funds were transferred from the account of the Nigeria Air Force to the bank accounts of the undisclosed company. Read: EFCC arrests wife of former Air Force boss, Amosu after…
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi has been appointed as chancellor of University of Nigeria, Nsukka by President Mohammadu Buhari. This makes Oba Adeyeye the youngest chancellor in Nigeria. This appointment was confirmed in a statement issued by Yera Moses Olafare, the director of media, Ooni’s palace. The statement said ”Ile Oodua is thankful to the people’s President Mohammadu Buhari of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the appointment of Ooni, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, as the chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN,” saying the development would further enable the monarch to build more bridges of friendship especially…
The federal government reportedly has no plans to rescind its decision on the dismissal of 13 vice chancellors appointed by ex president Goodluck Jonathan. Minister of education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, reaffirmed the action at the flag off of the 2015/2016 annual school census in Abuja on Thursday, February 18. Last weekend, the government announced the sacking of 13 Vice Chancellors of newly established federal universities including VC of National Open Universities of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Vincent Tenebe. When asked about the motive behind Tenebe’s sack, the minister explained that the professor was removed because of the petitions against him. Adamu…
The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, is slated to speak at this year’s international conference on deepening democracy in Nigeria. The conference organized by the Department of Political Science of the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, provides a platform to generate intellectual discussions with a view to assessing how elections could effectively serve as a catalyst for entrenching democracy in Nigeria. A statement signed by the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Prof. Ayo Dunmoye, stated that free and fair elections are core to democracy adding that the Nigerian experience has been mixed on so many fronts.…
President Mohammadu Buhari has reportedly sacked the Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, Prof. Vincent Tenebe. Buhari reportedly laid off Vice chancellors of the 12 federal universities established by the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan. The directive for them to exit their post was contained in a statement by Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu. The statement simply revealed that Buhari has approved the appointment of new vice chancellors for the universities. It was gathered that while the Vice Chancellor of NOUN was replaced with Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu of the Department of Mass Communication,…
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that Nigeria remains fully committed to free international trade despite its present economic circumstances. Buhari gave the assurance during audience with the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Amb. Roberto Azevedo in Abuja on Monday. The President assured him that Nigeria would remain part of the world market, in spite of the dwindling price of oil. “I am glad that you are aware of the position we have found ourselves, the state of our economy, our consumption pattern, and many others. “Despite it all, we remain committed to the ideals of free international trade…
Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari has again ruled out Naira devaluation saying his administration would encourage local production and efficiency. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President spoke made this revelation at the Africa 2016: Business for Africa, Egypt and the World at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt on Saturday, February 20, 2016. While contributing to the Presidential Panel Roundtable on Investment and Growth Opportunities at the opening of the event, President Buhari said, “Developed countries are competing among themselves and when they devalue they compete better and manufacture and export more. But we…
A controversy is currently brewing over the alleged attack on an identified All Progressive Congress agent, Agbo Icha Emmanuel at Idabi Polling Booth, Otukpo. According to a report by Vanguard Newspaper, Agbo Icha had claimed he was attacked by thugs when he resisted attempts to hijack electoral materials but the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, claimed that the agent was the one who tried to hijack election materials at the polling booth. The PDP further claimed that Agbo Icha was apprehended by youths in the area who resisted his attempt and handed him over to the police for further questioning. Meanwhile,…
Immediate past Senate President, David Mark has won the Benue South Senatorial District re-run election with a total of 84, 192 votes. According to recent report, the Independent National Election Commission, INEC, declared the PDP candidate winner of the rerun polls which took place on Saturday, February 20, 2016. A confident Mark had earlier expressed confidence at the polls after he voted in his Otukpo ward in the early hours of February 20, 2016. It was further gathered that Mark defeated his major contender, Daniel Onjeh of the All Progressive Congress with a total margin of 12, 571 votes after…