Amazing memories of Diego Maradona’s enduring spell in Italy’s top flight are up once again as Napoli savour their place at the top of Serie A after 25 years ahead of Sunday’s trip to Bologna. The year was 1990 and Maradona, who had helped Napoli to their first league title three years earlier, was in his pomp as Napoli strode towards their second and last ‘scudetto’. Unbeknown to fans, it would be the last time Napoli sat top of the Italian league table for 25 years – a wait that ended Monday when Gonzalo Higuain struck twice in a 2-1…
Author: David F.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have revealed plans to organise international friendlies for the Super Eagles to fill in the up coming Fifa windows. Amaju Pinnick, the president of the football body, says plans are in top gear to engage African Champions, Ivory Coast and European giants Italy to play the Eagles. Pinnick disclosed this in an interview that discussions are underway to get the two countries on board as the Eagles get ready for the Fifa 2018 World Cup and the Afcon 2017 qualifiers. “We are still discussing, but nothing is concluded yet but we wish to play African…
Super Eagles yet again further dropped seven places on the latest rankings released by the world football governing body, Fifa on Thursday. Coach Sunday Oliseh’s Eagles were categorised among the worst mover as the three-time African champions dropped to 66th position among football playing nations and 14th in Africa. Eagles fate was not helped within the period of ranking as their 2018 World Cup opponents, Swaziland which they barely overcome were not among the top ranked countries. Ivory Coast are now ranked first in Africa replacing hitherto Africa’s best, Algeria which dropped to the second spot. Belgium will finish the…
Laurent Koscielny could be fit to play this weekend, but Arsenal do not know how long they will be without star attacker Alexis Sanchez, manager Arsene Wenger revealed on Thursday. Koscielny and Sanchez both limped off in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Norwich City, the former with a hip injury, the latter with a hamstring problem, while midfielder Santi Cazorla suffered a blow to his knee. Arsenal have not yet established the likely length of Sanchez and Cazorla’s absences, but Wenger is hopeful that Koscielny will be able to line up in Saturday’s home game with Sunderland. “We will make…
Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy can make history for the second weekend running when the Premier League’s early-season over-achievers visit down-sliding Swansea City on Saturday. Vardy’s goal in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United saw him set a new Premier League record of scoring in 11 consecutive matches, going past the mark set by United old boy Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2003. Should he score at Swansea, Vardy will equal an even more historic mark: Jimmy Dunne’s English top-flight record from 1931-32 of scoring in 12 successive games for Sheffield United. But the England striker has played down the significance…
Spain midfielder Juan Mata expects Manchester United to get back the winning formula as they aim to step up their Premier League title challenge against West Ham on Saturday. Louis van Gaal’s side have lost just one of their last 15 games and could return to the top of the table if they beat the Hammers at Old Trafford and other results go their favour. Yet the perception remains that all is not entirely well at United, with their recent run containing too few victories, while entertaining play has been in short supply. Van Gaal’s methods have been called into…
Diego Costa will do his bit to silence the growing criticism of his poor form after the bothered Chelsea striker dominated the build-up to Bournemouth’s visit to Stamford Bridge on Saturday. After his reaction to being dropped overshadowed Chelsea’s draw at Tottenham last weekend, Costa appeared to be heading for more controversy when the Spain star was photographed leaving a London nightclub along with teammates Kenedy and Ramires in the early hours of Thursday morning. However, Blues boss Jose Mourinho had given his approval for the players to go out for their Christmas party and Costa was in shape to…
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini admits he is happy to have some of his key players back on duty as the Premier League leaders continue their good run of form at Stoke on Saturday. City’s injury list is gradually clearing up with goalkeeper Joe Hart and striker Sergio Aguero doubtful for the trip to the Britannia Stadium, but in line to play against Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Champions League on Tuesday. And, significantly for City’s hopes of maintaining their position at the top of the Premier League, Spain midfielder David Silva and Ivory Coast forward Wilfried Bony proved they are…
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger does not know when Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla will come back after both players sustained injuries during Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Norwich City. Sanchez has scored nine goals in 20 appearances in all competitions so far, while Cazorla has made the deep-lying playmaker role his own this season. Wenger was also not sure when captain Mikel Arteta will return from injury. “At the moment on Alexis, Santi and Mikel, we don’t know how long they will be out for,” Wenger told the club’s website (www.arsenal.com). The manager said striker Theo Walcott and defender…
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the only Black Friday-style bargains at the club will be players of high quality. Wenger is without Francis Coquelin for about 12 weeks, with fellow midfielders Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky and Mikel Arteta also sidelined. “We are in a position where we want to do something,” Wenger insisted. “I love a bargain. Who doesn’t love a bargain? A bargain for us is to buy players of top quality, because only top quality strengthens our squad.” Black Friday hails from the United States and takes place on the day after Thanksgiving, with shoppers seeking goods such…
Leicester striker Jamie Vardy is launching a new academy to seek the next stars of non-league football. Vardy, 28, was at Fleetwood in 2012 when they were a non-league side but is now the Premier League’s top scorer and has netted in 11 consecutive games. The aim of Vardy’s ‘V9 Academy’ is to discover hidden talent and stop players drifting away from the game. “I know there are players out there in a similar position to where I was that just need an opportunity,” he said. “More and more players are dropping out of the system early. “For me, it…
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho’s treatment of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard this week showed me just how desperate he is to get them back to their best form. As a manager I would try anything I could to get my under-performing players doing the things they normally did, but I could not be sure whether it would work or how they would take it. With Costa, by dropping him for Sunday’s draw with Tottenham, Mourinho was trying to get a reaction. We don’t know yet if it is going to end up being a good one. We all saw how…
Dani Alves scored their first goal from long range, 20-year-old forward Sandro Ramirez hit a a hat-trick, while Munir El Haddadi, also 20, got two goals. Lionel Messi was left out of the squad, while Andres Iniesta, Neymar and Luis Suarez were unused substitutes. Juanfran hit a consolation for the visitors, who had held Luis Enrique’s La Liga side 0-0 in the first leg. That tie was played earlier than scheduled to allow Barca to play in the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan, where the Spanish club enter at the semi-final stage on 17 December.
Everton will battle City to Goodison Park for the first of their two-legged tie, while Stoke are at home first against Liverpool. The first legs will be played over 5 and 6 January, with the return matches played on 26 and 27 January. Liverpool won 6-1 at Southampton in Wednesday’s only quarter-final, while City beat Hull 4-1 on Tuesday. Everton won 2-0 at Middlesbrough in the previous round, while Stoke beat Championship opposition in Sheffield Wednesday, winning 2-0 at home. After his team thrashed Saints, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp said: “I’ve had a few finals in my life and I…
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp said he now understands the expectation surrounding Daniel Sturridge after he scored twice in the League Cup win over Southampton. The striker, 26, was given his first start by Klopp after injury problems. Divock Origi netted a hat-trick and Jordon Ibe got the other as the Reds came from behind to win 6-1 and set up a semi-final against Stoke City. “I said to Sturridge after the game ‘now I know what everybody is talking about so thank you’,” said Klopp. Sturridge has been plagued by injuries since August 2014 and the match at St Mary’s…
Swedish translation of’We Should All be Feminists’ titled “All Borde Vara Feminister” and published by Albert Bonniers Förlag was unveiled yesterday, December 2. The text originated as a TEDx talk in 2013 in which Adichie combined her personal experience of growing up in Nigeria with an acute analysis of the complexity of modern feminism. Part of the talk was famously sampled by Beyonce in the song “Flawless”. The book launch was held at Norra Real secondary school in Stockholm, where it was announced that each second grade high school student in Sweden (16 year olds) will receive a copy –…
Popular Indigenous Rapper, Reminisce has released a remix version to his song titled KPOMO. The lively remix features efforts from Lil Kesh, Falz, CDQ and Seriki.
Mr Capable, Banky W has released a new single titled ‘All I Want Is You’. ‘All I Want Is You’ features songstress and MTN Project Fame winner Chidinma.
Spotify released its streaming totals for 2015 and revealed statistics on most streamed acts. According to Billboard reports Drake was the world’s most streamed artist of the year on Spotify. The Toronto rapper’s music was streamed more than 1.8 billion times by 46 million listeners. Drake is followed by The Weeknd and Kanye West as the most streamed artists in the United States. The Weeknd’s ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’ was the most streamed album, followed by Drake’s ‘If You’re Reading This Its Too Late’. Rihanna is the most streamed female artist of the year with more than one billion streams…
The super endowed international music star, has released new shots to promote her clothing line J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez. The 46 year-old shows of cool casuals, and chic formals in photos by Hunter & Gatti, and her ‘hawt’ figure is the perfect complement to the outfits.