Holders and Spanish league leaders Barcelona will slug it out with Premier League leaders Arsenal in the last 16 of the Champions League, 10 years after the sides faced each other in the final, following Monday’s draw for the first knockout stage. Spanish league leaders Barcelona, chasing a sixth title, got the victory 2-1 in the 2006 final at the Stade de France in Paris and also triumphed in the knockout phase in 2010 and 2011. Chelsea, who are enduring a torrid time in the Premier League, will face French league leaders Paris St Germain in the knockout stages for…
Author: David F.
Reigning African Footballer of the Year Yaya Toure wants to be given Manchester City’s winning goal in the 2-1 Barclays Premier League victory on Saturday. Toure’s stoppage time effort at the Etihad Stadium has since been credited to the Nigerian youngster who deflected the ball past the out of luck Swansea goalkeeper, Lukasz Fabianski but the big Ivorian is having none of it. The midfielder claims the goal should be his as it was destined for the back of the net anyway. “When you see the action, the ball was going into the net. “When you shoot on target I…
The tightness of this season’s Premier League race has led Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini to predict that the title could be won by a team with less than 80 points for just the fourth time in the competition’s history. Manchester United have achieved the feat twice in the Premier League era (in 1996-97 and 1998-99) and are the last club to lift the title with less than 80 points. Arsenal won the league with 78 points in the 1997-98 season, becoming the only other club to match United, and Pellegrini said this season’s title could won by a team…
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has confirmed winger Jesse Lingard picked up an injury in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat by Bournemouth. Lingard was substituted in the first half with a suspected hamstring problem and Van Gaal said the 22-year-old would have to be assessed to ascertain the extent of the damage. “With Lingard, it is a second occurrence in a short space of time so we will have to see,” Van Gaal was quoted as saying by the club’s website (www.manutd.com). Lingard’s addition to an already lengthy injury list increases Van Gaal’s selection woes. The Dutchman was missing…
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp tried to reduce the pressure on goalkeeper Simon Mignolet by blaming himself for the error that allowed West Bromwich Albion to equalise during Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Anfield. Captain Jordan Henderson put Liverpool ahead only for Mignolet to flap at a West Brom corner soon after, allowing Craig Dawson to wipe out the home side’s advantage. Liverpool conceded again from another West Brom corner in the second half, before substitute Divock Origi salvaged a point with an injury-time equaliser aided by a deflection. Klopp was asked his opinion on Mignolet’s performance after the game, but refused…
The beginning of season signing of Petr Cech from Chelsea has raised Arsenal’s defending to a new level, according to England striker Theo Walcott. The Czech Republic goalkeeper equalled David James’ Premier League record of 169 clean sheets when the Gunners beat Aston Villa 2-0 on Sunday to climb to the top of the table. Arsenal boast the second tightest defence this season, conceding 13 goals, and Cech’s clean sheet against Villa, which came in his 349th Premier League game, was his seventh of the campaign. “He’s changed us completely in that back four. He’s a talker, he believes in…
Jose Mourinho agrees with Claudio Ranieri that a top-four Barclays Premier League finish remains possible for Chelsea and challenged the champions to finaally begin their domestic fight against the division’s surprise package. Monday’s match will have the two sides in somewhat of a role reversal from previous meetings, with Leicester the high-flying form side and Chelsea in need of points to move away from the lower reaches of the top flight. Leicester are 17 points ahead of Mourinho’s men, although they could be toppled from the summit by Arsenal, Manchester City or Manchester United before the clash at the King…
The latest attraction towards global attention for The Entertainer is getting a recent spotlight feature in November edition of the popular entertainment publication, VIBE magazine. Coming off the heels of numerous accolades including a special recognition award at forthcoming Channel O Music Video Awards, there seems to be no stopping the pop singer, who is set to drop his highly anticipated ‘Mr Endowed’ album anytime soon. D’banj, is gradually enjoying international appeal, no doubt owing largely to his collaborative effort with veteran rapper, Snoop Dogg, on the remix to his ‘Mr Endowed’ single, and a subsequent signing with the G.O.O.D…
American singer Raphael Saadiq paid tribute to late Nigerian legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti at the BET Experience Africa 2015 concert that held last night, Saturday, December 12 at the Ticket Pro Dome. The 40-year-old gave a tribute, leading his band to perform different versions of Fela’s music with videos playing in the background. The concert also featured great performances from international artistes including Maxwell, Mary J Blige, Young Thug, Diamond Platnumz, Flavour Nabania and AKA It is noteworthy that his performance last night was his first on African soil.
I watched the other night, with an immense sense of pride, the spectacularly creative piece of artwork, that has accumulated an assemblage of accolades, titled October 1 by Kunle Afolayan. I was utterly devastated that this same masterpiece suffered tremendously in the hands of pirates. The same goes for one of Nigeria’s finest comedian, Ayo Makun whose movie ‘30days in Atlanta‘ suffered a similar fate! How do we destroy the venom of piracy that has slowly and steadily eaten deep into the fiber of of our creative industry?! I would like to seize this medium, to implore each and every…
Wizkid is set to headline a special edition of ‘Industry Nite‘ on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at the grand ball room of Oriental Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos. Earlier in the year, Wizkid has headlined special editions of Industry Nite in Dubai and Houston.
R Kelly has released a new song titled ‘I Just Want To Thank You’, off his 13th studio album called ‘The Buffet’. ‘I Just Want To Thank You’ also features Starboy boss, Wizkid. ‘The Buffet’ will be released today Friday, December 11, 2015.
HKN Chairman Adewale Adeleke celebrated his birthday amidst friends and well wishers at Quilox club run by Shina Peller. Davido was also around to party with the HKN chairman, who is also his brother. YBNL act Lil Kesh was also in attendance.
Nigerian blogger, Linda Ikeji is holding her house warming party today to officially welcome guests into her newly acquired mansion in Banana Island, Lagos. pLinda reportedly spent over N500m on the mansion when she bought it in October 2015. Some of the guests at the house warming party include; Denrele Edun, Emmanuel Ikubese, Juliet Ibrahim and others.
There has been multiple reports of violence at the just concluded maiden edition of the Kaduna Music Festival (KADAMFEST). The festival was declared open yesterday by President Muhammadu Buhari who appreciated Nigerian entertainers saying, ‘this application of creative talent to the cause of political change in a dire moment for our country deserves eternal gratitude’. The event has since witnessed performances from top Nigerian acts like 9ice, 2face Idibia, Yemi Alade and others. However, all that promise is now being marred by reports of isolated violence at festival. There’s been reports of violence at the venue with unconfirmed reports saying,…
The BET Experience Africa 2015 happened at the Ticket Pro Dome yesterday, December 12 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Popular international and African entertainers including Maxwell, Mary J Blige, Young Thug, Raphael Saadiq, Diamond Platnumz, Flavour Nabania and AKA lit up the concert with great performances. Other activities during the all-day festival include comedy, Fashion runway, celebrity basketball game and more.
Nollywood stars, Saidi Balogun, Seun Akindele and Liz Da Silva have just finished work on a new Yoruba movie titled ‘Aimo’. Written, produced and directed by multi-talented actress, Allwell Ademola, the movie was shot in Magodo, Lagos. The upcoming movie also features veteran actress, Monsurat Balogun aka Madam Saje, Becky Adediwura and Iyabo Ojo‘s kids, Festus and Priscilla Ojo. Aimo centres around a family battling sickle cell anemia. Allwell Ademola, who recently shot a new movie, Eniobanke, has produced several films including Asiko, Agan, Adeda, Cassanova among others.
Newcastle have not turned the corner yet despite their 2-1 victory at Tottenham on Sunday, according to manager Steve McClaren. Ayoze Perez scored three minutes into stoppage time to give McClaren’s side a second successive win, following last weekend’s home victory over Liverpool. They are now out of the relegation zone but only two points above 18th place. “We need more performances like that,” McClaren said. “We have been inconsistent.” The 54-year-old former England and Derby manager added: “It’s answered the critics we have had over last four weeks and it was a great performance in the second half and…
Spurs and Liverpool qualified after winning Group J and B respectively, while United finished third in their Champions League Group B. They are all seeded and will play one of 16 unseeded sides – made up of 12 group runners-up and four of the teams eliminated from the Champions League. United could be drawn against Gary Neville’s Valencia of Spain.
Bournemouth continued their good run against Premier League big sides following their 2-1 against Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday. United went behind just two minutes into the game via a Junior Stanislas goal. After persistent pressure, United restored parity through Maroune Fellaini, who found the back of the net in the 24th minute. In the 31st minute, Jesse Lingard added to United’s injury woes and was replaced in the Andreas Pereira. Ex-United striker Joshua King doubled Bournemouth lead when he struck with nine minutes into the second half. The win now sees Bournemouth leapfrog Chelsea in the…