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Manchester United boss: Fans will give us ‘extra lift’ in final few games
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes the return of fans will give Manchester United an “extra lift” in their final few games of the season. Supporters will be inside Old Trafford for the first time since March 2020 for United’s final home league game of the season, against Fulham, and after two defeats on the spin at home the United manager is hoping their support will give them a boost. After recent protests, Solskjaer is also hoping the supporters will get behind the team and hopes the game won’t be “marred by violence.” Solskjaer said: “Of course you hope that the game against Fulham will not be marred by any violence or over the top things. “I know our fans, I know the Manchester United fans, they’re the best fans I’ve had and I’ve got such a great relationship with them and they know how to ...
Thomas Tuchel reacts as ‘unlucky’ Chelsea suffer back-to-back FA Cup final defeats
Chelsea suffered late VAR heartache as they slipped to back-to-back FA Cup final defeats after a 1-0 loss to Leicester City, Youri Tielemans’ second-half strike proving decisive. In front of a reduced, yet undoubtedly noisy, Wembley crowd, it was Chelsea who made the brighter start, Timo Werner showcasing his electric speed to test the Foxes backline early on. Despite controlling the opening exchanges, the first real chance of the match fell to their opponents, Timothy Castagne getting in down the right and teeing up Jamie Vardy inside the area, the veteran striker’s effort well blocked by Reece James. At the other end of the pitch, Thomas Tuchel’s men almost fashioned a chance of their own, Thiago Silva’s dinked cross agonisingly evading the head of Cesar Azpilicueta at the back post, aft...
Imo government condoles with family of student killed by stray bullet
Imo Government on Wednesday condoled with the family of Miss Divine Nwaneri, a first-year student of the Imo State University, who was killed by a stray bullet on April 24. The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Declan Emelumba who received the family in his office in Owerri, described her death as a ‘huge loss’. Newsmen report that the 22-year old student of Soil Science in ABSU was hit by a stray bullet from an accidental discharge by a security personnel in front of the state Government House, Owerri. Emelumba assured the family that the state government would take all appropriate measures to provide them the needed succour. He added that cogent measures had been taken by the state government in synergy with security agencies to restore calm to the state and ensure se...
Novak Djokovic beats Alejandro Fokina to reach Italian Open quarter-finals
World number one Novak Djokovic swept into the Italian Open quarter-finals on Thursday with a straight sets wins over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in front of spectators who were allowed to watch in the Foro Italico for the first time. The five-time Rome champion won through 6-2, 6-1 in 1hr 10min against the 48th-ranked Spaniard with the venue filled to 25 per cent of capacity. “It was not good, it was great. I missed the crowd,” said the 33-year-old Serb. “It was nice to see them back.” After losing his opening service game, Djokovic powered back with five breaks of serve, outclassing his rival, despite a late fightback, to seal the win on his sixth match point. “He started well, but I managed to break back straight away and establish the control and consistency. “I thought I played at lea...
Zinedine Zidane ready to walk away from Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane will almost certainly leave Real Madrid at the end of this season, regardless of whether the team wins LaLiga. They face Granada tonight and if they pick up a win they will still be just two points behind Atletico Madrid with two games to go. But the 48-year-old coach, who has won two league titles and three Champions League crowns in less than four seasons, has all but made up his mind to walk away after the final game of the campaign at home to Villarreal on May 23. Zidane will be an immediate target for Juventus and for the France national side if they make a change after the Euros this summer. Madrid president Florentino Perez will be under pressure to promote Raul to replace him. He currently has the club’s youth team on the verge of promotion but Perez could also turn...
INEC increases polling units in Anambra to 5,720
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has increased polling units in Anambra from 4,608 to 5,720. Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji, INEC Anambra Resident Electoral Commissioner, disclosed this on Monday in Awka during Stakeholders’ Forum on Expansion of Voter Access to Polling Units. Orji explained that the expansion became necessary as the commission last expanded its polling units more than two decades ago. “From INEC records, the existing polling units were created 25 years ago and some of them today are in locations where they no longer promote healthy electoral activities. “Some of the polling units are located in front of shrines, some in private buildings and others in churches,” he said. Orji, who said that INEC national headquarters began the process about two weeks ago, hinted ...
David Moyes lashes out at Premier League chiefs over Manchester United decision
David Moyes fears West Ham’s slim hopes of Champions League football could be affected further by Manchester United forced to field weakened teams. The Hammers boss – whose men were beaten by Everton – has called on the Premier League to explain the questions surrounding the integrity of the competition being affected with United’s 3-1 win at Aston Villa their first of three games in five games. Reds boss Ole Gunnar Solksjaer is set to dip into his squad to face the Hammers’ top-four rivals Leicester on Tuesday after sealing a top four place. Moyes said: “The Premier League should be answering these questions and tell us why this is the case. “There was an awful lot of integrity needed to get the Premier League back up and running during the pandemic. ‘Ole can do what he likes. Its his tea...
Somalia invites state leaders to crucial election talks
Somalia’s prime minister on Sunday invited regional leaders to a fresh round of negotiations in the hope of resolving a protracted feud over elections that sparked violence in the capital. The troubled Horn of Africa country is experiencing its worst political crisis in years, with fighting erupting in Mogadishu last week after the president extended his mandate by two years without going to elections. Opposition fighters remain in the capital even after President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed backed away from the mandate extension at the weekend and agreed to hold a fresh vote. The president, better known by his nickname Farmajo, tasked his prime minister with reaching out to rivals and overseeing the negotiations, a key opposition demand. A government spokesman said Prime Minister Mohamed Hu...
Chadian rebels, government forces clash in area where slain leader was shot
Government troops and rebels clashed on Thursday in a region of western Chad where president Idriss Deby Itno was killed earlier this month. The fight in the desert region of Kanem, near Chad’s border with Niger, pits Libya-based rebels against forces loyal to a new military junta led by Deby’s son. Fiercely criticised for authoritarianism and inequality, Deby was seen as a trusty ally by many Western countries including the former colonial power France. He was seen as a stabilising force in the fight against jihadism in the wider Sahel region on the southern fringes of the Sahara desert. “Fighting is continuing in Kanem — we are going to have continue to fight, otherwise they will destabilise us,” junta spokesman General Azem Bermandoa Agouna told AFP. The Military Transition Council (CMT...
Big Sam backs Semi Ajayi to bounce back from error vs Aston Villa
Boss Sam Allardyce has backed Semi Ajayi to quickly bounce back from the mistake he made in the derby against Villa. The Baggies were 90 seconds away from beating Dean Smith’s side on Sunday but were ultimately held to a point after Kienan Davis fired in to level the scores at 2-2 in stoppage time. Villa’s first goal arrived after Ajayi – who had been recalled to the side at the expense of Dara O’Shea – gave away a needless penalty for a foul on Ross Barkley. Davis’ equaliser meanwhile arrived after Bartley – who has been in outstanding form in recent months – got caught in two minds when it came to clearing a cross. But while Allardyce was left frustrated by those individual errors, he refused to criticise his two centre-backs. And he has backed them and the rest of Albion’s squad to resp...
Chad rebels ready for ceasefire; opposition presses for civilian rule
Rebels in northern Chad are ready to observe a ceasefire and to discuss a political settlement after the battlefield death of President Idriss Deby last week, a rebel spokesman said on Sunday. The rebels, known as the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), came over the northern border from Libya on April 11 calling for an end to Deby’s 30-year rule. They came as close as 200-300 km (125-185 miles) from the capital N’Djamena before being pushed back by the army. Deby was killed on Monday while visiting troops at the front, just after he won an election. His death shocked the Central African country, which has long been a Western ally against Islamist militants. The air force has since bombarded rebel positions, the military and rebels said. The military said on Saturday it had “annih...
PSG boss: Idrissa Gueye a pleasure to work with
Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed his delight to work with Idrissa Gueye and praised him for his contribution to his side. The midfielder is currently spending his second season at Parc des Princes, having teamed up with the club from Premier League side Everton in the summer of 2019. Gueye has featured in more than 60 games since joining the side and in the current campaign, he has made 42 appearances, scoring two goals and providing one assist across all competitions. His performances ensured the Parisians to their second spot on the Ligue 1 table and their progression into the semi-finals of the Champions League. Pochettino has lauded the impact of the Senegal international to his side ahead of their encounter with the Maroons. “He’s a player with experience, ...
