WHO IS THE KING OF AFRICAN FOOTBALL STARS?

Today 5th of January 2017, curtains will be raise, excitement will fill the hall and there will be a toast of wine when the 2016 Glo-CAF African Player of the year is announced tonight at the International Conference Center in Abuja, Nigeria.

The award which is the 25th edition is also part of the celebration of CAF 60th anniversary. Over the years, 16 different players from 10 different nations have claimed this award with the current holder being Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The nominees for this year are...

Gabon and Borussia Dortmund striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang(27)

Algeria and Leicester City winger, Riyad Mahrez (25)

Senegal and Liverpool winger, Sadio Mané (24)

The trio made the cut following votes from Head Coaches or Technical Directors of the National Associations affiliated to CAF, Media Committee, Technical & Football committee and a panel of Media Experts.

For the African Player of the Year (Based in Africa), we have...

Uganda and Mamelodi Sundows goalkeeper, Denis Onyango

Zimbabwe and Mamelodi Sundows forward, Khama Billiat

Zambia and TP Mazembe midfielder, Rainford Kalaba .

It promises to be filled with music, fun and glitz as top African music stars are set to light up the stage. Artistes such as Femi Kuti, Yemi Alade, Diamond Platinumz, Flavour and others as well as DJ Jimmy Jatt and comedians will be there to spice it all up.

Hosting this year will be top sports presenter Mimi Fawaz and Nollywood veteran actor Richard-Mofe Damijo.

Other awards for the night include; Women’s Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, National Team of the Year, Women’s National Team of the Year, Most Promising Talent of the Year, Youth Player of the Year amongst others.

MAN UNITED LOANS OUT GOALKEEPER

Manchester United has confirmed the on-loan departure of Sam Johnstone to Aston Villa for the rest of the season.

Sam Johnstone was Manchester United's third-choice goalkeeper. The 23year-old will spend the rest of the campaign at the Villa park after only featuring for Manchester United Under-23 this season

United manager Jose Mourinho recently admitted Johnstone would be the only player to leave Old Trafford on loan during the January window.

The club statement read: "Manchester United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has joined Aston Villa on loan for the remainder of the season."

And the former England Under-20 international, who was behind David De Gea and Sergio Romero in Mourinho's pecking order, is looking forward to working under Steve Bruce.

He told Villa's official website: “I’m really pleased to have joined Aston Villa - it’s a massive club.

“I’m really excited to be here. Aston Villa were interested and it’s an opportunity I jumped at. It’s one you simply can’t turn down. 

“I’m really delighted to be here and I’m happy that it’s all sorted. I can’t wait to work with Steve Bruce too. 

“I’ve heard very good things about the manager. You can see his track record. He’s good for the club and I can’t wait to get going now.”

MERCEDES READY TO LAUNCH CAR FOR 2017 SEASON

Current champion Mercedes will launch the 2017 car they which to defend their Formula 1 titles at their home ground Silverstone on Thursday, February 23.

The triple champions will unveil the F1 W08 and take to the British GP track for its very first laps on the same day as a part of an initial pre-testing shakedown and filming day. This is happening just a day before rivals Ferrari  take the covers off their new car at their private Fiorano test circuit in Italy and complete initial shakedown laps before winter testing begins on February 27 in Barcelona.

The Silverstone event will also involve a fan meet-and-greet with Lewis Hamilton and his yet to be announced new team mate, with the Silver Arrows offering a few lucky supporters the chance to join them for the launch.

The unveiling of the new Mercedes W08 will invariably be one of the most eagerly-anticipated of 2017's 'launch season', particularly as it will be the first chance for rivals to catch a glimpse of the world champions' interpretation of the sport's new aero rules.

In a drive for faster and more aggressive-looking cars, 2017's challengers will feature wider front wings, shorter rear wings and overall increases in downforce.

It promises to be a whole lot of fun and excitement this season as Red Bull are expected to mount a more sustained challenge to Mercedes' recent dominance of F1 in 2017, while Ferrari are also eyeing significant strides after they failed to win a single race throughout the 2016 season.

MADRID EXTENDS UNBEATEN RUN AS JAMES SCORES TWICE IN SEVILLA MAULING

Real Madrid first game of the new year ended with a win over Sevilla in the 1st-leg of their Copa del Rey quarter final clash at the Santiago Bernabeau.

On the day that marked the first year of club legend Zinedine Zidane being named as coach of the side, it was the Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez who was the star of the match by bagging in a brace as Los Blancos won the Andalusian side 3-0 with all the goals being scored in the first half of the encounter.

Even without the front-trio BBC - Bale, Benzema and Cristiano - the Madrid side rose to occasion. With that win they have now extended their unbeaten run to 38 matches across all competitions, a run which started since April 2016.

After few minutes of play, Brazilian midfielder Casemiro slide in a pass for James to score his first goal in the 11th minute.

The second came in a moment later through a corner kick delivered by Toni Kroos and dispatched into the net by Raphael Varane who jumped ahead of every other players to do so in the 29th minute.

Sevilla could have reduced the deficit a bit if Joaquin Correa had buried the chance when he was one-on-one with Kiko Casilla, but the Madrid goalkeeper did well to save it with the follow up also messed up by Vicente Iborra despite the goal at his mercy.

Vitolo was also culpable some minutes later when he was also through on goal. He could only muster a straight shot into the hands of the Spanish goalkeeper.

Madrid wouldn't have to wait much longer to put the game to bed as Luka Modric appeared to be pushed in the area and referee Mateu Lahoz controversially pointed to the penalty spot. James stepped up and slot into the net for the third goal of the match and his third as well in the competition.

The second half did not produce any goal despite the two teams making their three maximum substitution as it appears that the Los Merengues are happy to let the game wane off.

The two teams meet for the 2nd-leg at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium on January 12 with Sevilla hoping to comeback from the mauling and qualify for the next round.

DELE'S BRACE HALT CHELSEA WINNING STREAK

In a supposedly nervy encounter involving the two best defence in the Premier League this season, it was the 20yr-old double header that gave the host the maximum points.

The England midfielder of Nigeria descent found the back of the net either side of the interval to make it seven goals in his last four matches

The game started at the White Hart Lane with both Chelsea and Tottenham trying to lay claim to the possession, but it was the Blues that got the first chance of the game in the fifth minute when Eden Hazard hit wide a Nemanja Matic's lofty pass.

After dominating the possession for the majority of the half, Spurs turned it into a goal in the added minute of the first half through a Christian Eriksen cross which was perfectly placed into Courtois' goalpost by Dele Alli.

His second goal of the game came in a similar fashion in the 54th minute with Christian Eriksen also putting up another impeccable cross for Dele to nod into the net having found space between Victor Moses and Cesar Azpilicueta.

Mauricio Pochettino's side who are also  enjoying a purple patch of their own, having won five from five since losing at Manchester United won the game and with that they put an end to Antonio Conte's team 13-match winning run. The last time the Blues lost a game was also in North London, losing 3-0 to Arsenal in October.

With the win, Tottenham are now third on the log just above Manchester City on goal difference but reducing the point between themselves and Chelsea to seven points.

Michael Schumacher: The world awaits the Legend

Yesterday marks the 48th birthday of racing legend and all-time Formula One record holder Michael Schumacher. The German who won 7 World titles as well as 91 Grand prix wins and 155 podium finishes, with teams such as Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes is still in recovery.

Three years have now passed since
Schumacher was left fighting for his life following an accident sustained while skiing in the French Alps with his son. He was airlifted to a hospital and placed in a medically induced coma, having suffered a traumatic brain injury.

He was in the coma for six months before he left the hospital in Grenoble for further rehabilitation at the University Hospital (CHUV) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In September 2014, Schumacher was relocated to his family home on the shores of Lake Geneva where he continues to receive medical treatment and rehabilitation privately.

Official updates on the F1 legend has been been very scarce in the following months and years, though latest reports have it that his medical bill within these years has reached approximately $25million.

The first pictures of Schumacher since the accident were touted around European media outlets for £1million earlier this month, with police launching an investigation in to how the photographs were taken from the legend's home.

Sabine Kehm, Schumacher's manager, said before Christmas that there are no plans to release a statement with an update on his current plight.

"Michael's health is not a public issue, and so we will continue to make no comment in that regard," Kehm said.

"We have to protect his intimate sphere. Legally seen and in the longer term, every statement related to his health would diminish the extent of his intimate sphere."

His fans across the globe are all hoping and praying to see him back on his feet, just as his family keeps caring for the legend of the race circuit.

Happy Birthday Schumi!
Get well soon!

 

Missing Players at AFCON 2017 in Gabon

The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations is set to be light up from 14th of January at the 40,000-seat capacity Stade de l'Amitié in Libreville, Gabon.

Here are some of the African stars who will not be adorning their Fatherland colour at the 31st Africa mundial despite their country flag being hoisted in the West Africa nation.

There are different reasons that these stars will not be participating at this year footballing showpiece which is also part of the Africa Cup of Nations 60th Anniversary. While some were due to injuries and some were not called up, others pulled out due to club commitments.

Here are the names of some of these players and the country they represent;

Carl Medjani(Leganes/Algeria), Sofiane Feghouli (West Ham/Algeria), Adam Ounas(Bordeaux/Algeria), Ishak Belfodil(Standard Liege/Algeria), Kwadwo Asamoah(Juventus/Ghana), Jeffrey Schllup(Leicester City/Ghana), Adam Kwarasey(Rosenborg/Ghana),

Benik Afobe(Bournemouth/DR Congo), Yannick Bolasie(Everton/DR Congo), Allan Nyom(West Brom/Cameroon), Eric Choupo-Moting(Schalke 04/Cameroon), Ibrahim Amadou(Lille/Cameroon), Joel Matip(Liverpool/Cameroon), Younes Belhanda(Nice/Morocco),

Pape Souare(Crystal Palace/Senegal), Diafra Sakho(West Ham/Senegal), Brice Dja Djedje(Watford/Cote d'Ivoire), Gervinho(Hebei China Fortune/Cote d'Ivoire), Abdoulaye Doukoure(Watford/Mali)

The tournament runs from January 14th through 5th of February 2017 in four different venues across the nation.

Across European Leagues - Performance of Nigerian Players

Ideye scored first-ever hat-trick in Europe as Nigerian players turned up for their respective clubsides across Europe over the weekend. Here is the highlights

Germany
Leon Balogun, the rock solid Eagles centre-back was on the pitch in Mainz 05 thrilling 4-4 draw with Hoffenheim. His presence could not prevent his team who were 4-1 up before having a player sent off from holding on to the lead and claiming the maximum point. They succumb to the pressure mount by the former Winter champion having played with 10 men for around 35 minutes.

Netherlands
Fred Friday, the 21yr-old striker presence in AZ Alkmaar 2-0 win over Willem II cannot be undermined. He was on for the full minutes of the game and supplied the assist for Levi Garcia to score his team 2nd goal of the game. Also in the team is Belgian midfielder of Nigeria descent Funso Ojo, who also played the entire duration of the match. Former Super Eagles forward Bartholomew Ogbeche came on in the 71st minute for the opposing side but could do nothing to prevent the loss.

Spain
Uche Agbo was on the pitch for the 1st-half in Granada 2-1 home loss to 10-man Eibar. He was replaced by Artem Kravets in the 46th minute while his team were 1-0 down to Eibar who had been reduced in the 32nd minute. It's Uche 3rd start in as many games for the 18th-placed team.

Italy 
Joel Obi, the former Inter Milan midfielder came on into the fray in the 60th minute for Daniele Baselli in Torino's 2-1 away loss to Atalanta. His 2nd appearance this season was overshadowed by England goalkeeper Joe Hart mistake which cost the team a share of the spoils. 
Sadiq Umar, the new revelation during the Rio Olympics was not listed for the game as his club AS Roma defeated Sampdoria 3-2 at the Rome Stadio Olimpico. The winning goal was

scored through a penalty by club legend Francesco Totti in the dying minutes of the game.

France
Vincent Enyeama, the 34yr-old Ex-Super Eagles goalkeeper was in the post as Lille lost 4-1 to visiting Monaco in the 4th game of Ligue 1 this season. He conceded 2 goals apiece in each half as the former Champions League campaigner lost their second game of the season. 

Belgium
Moses Simon, the Super Eagles 20yr-old winger scored a goal in his team Gent 3-0 win over Lokeren. He was on the pitch for the entire minutes of the game, and now has 3 goals in his 6 appearances so far this season. Another Nigerian who played the entire game was Anderson Esiti who was making his debut for the side he joined around the end of the summer transfer window. Still with Gent is 2007 U-17 World Cup winner Rabiu Ibrahim, who came on as a substitute in the 78th minute to make his debut for the club he joined from Slovakia champion AS Trencin.

Wilfred Ndidi could not prevent his team Genk from loosing 2-0 to Standard Liege over the weekend. The Super Eagles midfielder was on the pitch for the full minutes of the match in his 6th appearance of the season. The 19yr-old has not received any booking so far this season despite being a regular.

Kingsley Madu was on the bench as his new club Zulte Waregem won 5-1 away to Moeskoren in the league. The Dream Team VI defender awaits his debut for the team he joined at the closing end of the transfer window.

Henry Onyekuru, the young winger was on the pitch from start in his team KAS Eupen 2-1 win over KV Oostende in the Eredevise. He was replaced in the 88th minute for Jose Maria Cases as his team was keen on holding on to the slim margin.

Greece
Brown Ideye, the returnee Nigeria striker scored a hat-trick in his first match of the season as Olympiakos thrashed Veria FC 6-1 in the Greek Super League.
This is Ideye 1st hat-trick in Europe, which was started with an easy tap-in after a rebound in the 25th minute. He added two more in the 2nd-half to complete his hat-trick.

Israel
Nosa Igiebor scored his first goal of the season for Maccabi Tel Aviv who were held 2-2 at home by Beitar Jerusalem. Igiebor scored in the 59th minute to draw his side level in the game.

Turkey
Ogenyi Onazi, the combative midfielder was on for Trabzonspor from the onset in his team 2-0 loss at home to Osmanlinspor which had in their ranks Umar Aminu and Raheem Lawal. Onazi who was on the pitch for the entire game was unable to help muster a goal or an assist to help his team gain some prestige. On the opposing side, Rio 2016 star Umar started the game for the away side before he was substituted in the 86th minute for Erdal Kilicarslan, midfielder Lawal was an unused substitute.

Emmanuel Emenike, the former Super Eagles striker was a second half substitute for Roman Neustaedter in Fenebahce’s 1-0 home loss to Bursaspor.
He came on in the 76th minute but was unable to find the equalising goal as the only goal of the game was scored by Pablo Martin in the 33rd minute.

Godfrey Oboabona, the defender played the entire game as his team Caykur Rizespor win their game against Akhisa Belediye 1-0. The only goal of the game was scored by another Nigerian, 20yr-old Iyayi Believe Atiemwen. He scored the goal in the 49th minute and was replaced in the 92nd minute of the encounter.

Norway
William Troost-Ekong, Super Eagles and Olympics bronze medal-winning defender played the entire match for his club Haugesund - who were a man less - as they drew 0-0 with former champion Molde.

Weekend Performance of Nigerian Players in the Premier League

Odion Ighalo scored first goal of the season, also Kelechi is staking claim for a starting berth by scoring the winner in the derby. Here is the performance round-up of Nigerian stars over the weekend.

Kelechi Iheneacho was fantastic on his first start in the league this season. The 19yr-old goal was the deciding factor as his Manchester City team went to Old Trafford and conquered the Jose Mourinho's Manchester United team by winning 2-1. He also gave the assist for the first goal by flicking an header to set-up Kevin de Bruyne to put the ball inside the net. The Super Eagles striker goal made him the youngest scorer for the citizens in the Manchester derby. He was substituted in the 54th minute for Brazilian midfielder Fernando as the coach, Pep Guardiola try to bring more stability to the team in other to protect their slim lead. Defender Tosin Adarabioyo was not named as member of the squad to the Old Trafford victory.

Alex Iwobi was back in the Arsenal team after his injury lay-off, but he was made to wait until the 75th minute before coming on to replace Theo Walcott. The Gunners had to wait for a last-minute penalty converted by Santi Carzola to win 2-1 right there at the Emirates stadium. The 20yr-old Super Eagles forward did made his presence felt with some good moves which was also instrumental in putting the Southampton defense on pressure before conceding the penalty. His teammate Chuba Akpom was not listed as he continues to do well for the U-21 team where he scored a brace in their game against Derby County in the Premier League 2.

Odion Ighalo started the game for Watford in their great comeback against West Ham United at the London Stadium. The former Granada striker started the comeback with a nice goal after his team had gone 2 goals down through Michail Antonio brace, and also contributed an assist for the team 4th goal which was scored by Jose Holebas. He was however replace by former Flying Eagles striker Isaac Success in the 69th minute of the game. Success is still looking for his 1st goal since making a record move from Granada, he has made just 2 substitute appearances due to injury. Also coming on as a substitute in the game is Nigerian-Italian Stefano Chuka Okaka, who came on in the 79th minute for the team's captain Troy Deeney. It is the debut for the former AS Roma youngster for the Hornets since making a last-day move from Anderlecht, and he was yellow-carded in the 86th minute to commmend him for his troubles.

Jordon Ibe, the England forward who rebuffed Nigeria invitation was on for 63 minutes in Bournemouth 1-0 win over Peter Osaze former club West Brom. The record-signing has played in all the games so far this season, but he is without a goal or an assist. Replacing him on the pitch was Arsenal loanee Jack Wilshere.

Bamidele Alli was on for the entire duration in Tottenham 4-0 away win at Stoke City. The Nigerian-born England midfielder scored his team 3rd goal of the game and was instrumental in all the right moves made by the Lilywhites. The goal is his first of the season and more is expected of him by coach Mauricio Pochettino as the season progresses. His young compatriot Joshua Onomah had no part in the game as he was left out of the substitute bench.

Ahmed Musa made a substitute appearance for the 3rd game in a row as champion Leicester City lost 4-1 to Liverpool. The assistant Super Eagles captain came on in the 46th minute for Shinji Okazaki, but was unable to rescue his team who were 2-1 down at half-time to stage a comeback. Musa just like the rest of his teammates were below par in the game. For the Reds, both Seyi Ojo and Ovie Ejaria were not part of the squad. While the former is injured, the latter has been drafted back into the U-21 squad for the season. Also,centre-back Portuguese-Nigerian Tiago Abiola Ilori was also not part of the team.

Victor Moses came on in the 77th minute for Willian in Chelsea's 2-2 comeback draw against Swansea. The Super Eagles returnee had one shot which he blazed over the bar during his few minutes on the pitch. He had scored a goal in his last appearance for the Blues before the international break. Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel was not listed for the game as it was also with young defender Ola Aina who is waiting for his 1st game of the season since being drafted into the first-team by coach Antonio Conte.

Ross Barkley, the Everton midfielder of Nigeria descent started the game at Stadium of Light before he was replaced in the 46th minute by Gerard Deulofeu while the game was still stalemate. The Toffees later went on to win the game 3-0, courtesy of Romelu Lukaku's 11-minute hat-trick. On the opposing side, former Super Eagles forward Victor Anichebe will still have to wait for his debut for Sunderland as he was not named in the matchday squad by coach David Moyes.

Across Europe for Nigerian Players

Nigerians players contributions to their respective club-sides over the weekend 



England
Sone Aluko, the former Hull City attacker played for the entire minutes as his club Fulham defeated Blackburn Rovers 1-0 courtesy of Tom Cairney last-gasp winner. The Rovers squad also has a Nigerian Hope Akpan in their ranks, he was yellow-carded in the 85th minute.
Carl Ikeme, the Super Eagles number 1 goalkeeper could not prevent his team Wolverhampton Wanderers from losing 1-0 to Huddersfield Town, which was courtesy of Dutch striker Rajiv Van La Parra 6th minute strike. Teammate Dominic Iorfa was also on the pitch for the entire minutes of the game. He has played 5 times for the Wolves this season and was red-carded once.

Spain
Uche Agbo, the midfielder played for the entire duration as his team Granada lost 5-1 to Las Palmas in the second game of the La Liga season.

Italy
Joel Obi, the forgotten Super Eagles midfielder remained on the bench for the entire duration in his team Torino 5-1 win over Bologna. He had a starting berth in the first game of the season which they lost.
Umar Sadiq was left on the bench for 90 minutes in Roma’s 2-2 away draw against Cagliari in a Serie A match. He just joined up with the team after his exploits with the Dream Team VI are the Rio Olympics.

France
Vincent Enyeama, the most-capped Nigerian player was in the goalpost as his team Lille drew 1-1 away to Nice in the Ligue 1 third game of the season.

Germany
Leon Balogun, the Nigeria full-back was re-instated back into the Mainz 05 backline but was unable to stop Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring 2 goals in Borussia Dortmund 2-1 win over his team. The Super Eagles defender was on for the entire game. In that team is another player of Nigeria descent who plays for Austria Karim Onisiwo and he also was on the pitch for 90 minutes.

Netherlands

Fred Friday, the AZ Alkmaar striker was on the pitch for 77 minutes and contributed to the team 2-0 win over NEC Nijmegen by giving an assist for Iranian winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh to score his side second goal. 

Scotland

Efe Ambrose, the Super Eagles defender was neither on the pitch nor named on the substitute bench as his team Celtic dispatch Aberdeen 4-1 to remain at the top of the league.

Norway
William Troost-Ekong has carried his fine form from the Olympics his clubside as he scored for his Norwegian club Haugesund. The team came back from 2 goals down to win 3-2 at home against Brann with Troost-Ekong netting the equaliser on the stroke of half time. It was the 22year-old centre back first league goal in 17 league appearances this season.
Ifeanyi Matthew, ex-Flying Eagles did not make an appearance for Lillestrom in their 2-2 away draw against Viking in the Norwegian league.While Matthew was an unused substitute, Samuel Adegbenro played 90 minutes for Viking.

Belgium
19yr-old Henry Onyekuru scored one of the goals in his club Eupen 3-2 loss to Sporting Charleroi. He has now scored 2 goals in 5 appearances.
Moses Simon, the winger was on the scoring sheet for club Gent in their 2-2 away draw against Anderlecht in the Belgian league. It was Simon’s first league goal of the current campaign which was scored in the 21st minute of the encounter to make it 1-1 after Youri Tielemans had given Anderlecht the lead 2 minutes earlier.
Wilfred Ndidi made an appearance for Genk who pipped visiting Zulte-Waregem 1-0. The midfielder saw the entire action of the game.

Turkey
Nigeria defender Godfrey Oboabona and his team Rizespor were thrashed 3-0 by home side Karabukspor. The former Sunshine Stars captain was on for the full match.
Emmanuel Emenike, the former Super Eagles forward featured for Fenebahce but fired blanks in their 3-3 home draw against Kayserispor. Emenike was withdrawn for Fernandao in the 67th minute of the game.
Aminu Umar, the Dream Team VI star to Rio Olympics was in action for his club Osmanlispor who threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 against visiting Genclebirligi. For all his troubles, Umar was given a yellow card on 63 minutes before making way for another Nigerian Raheem Lawal in the 73rd minute.
Ogenyi Onazi, the Super Eagles combative midfielder was on for 55 minutes in his club Trabzonspor 1-0 loss away to Gaziantepspor. The former Lazio midfielder had scored 2 goals on his debut for the club last weekend.

Sweden
Former Super Eagles forward Chinedu Obasi featured for AIK who were forced to a 0-0 home draw against Hammarby. Obasi was later substituted for Alexander Isak. His compatriot John Chibuike replaced Amin Affane while midfielder Dickson Etuhu was left on the substitute bench for the entire 90 minutes of the game.

Finland
Former AC Milan youngster Nnamdi Oduamadi saw 90 minutes of action for HJK who beat KuPS 1-0. Former NPFL top-scorer Gbolahan Salami and defender Azubuike Egwuekwe were also on parade. The Nigerian trio were in the thick of the action for the full minutes of the game.

Denmark
Rilwan Hassan and Paul Onuachu were in action for Midtjylland who held home side Viborg to a 0-0 draw. Hassan was on for 90 minutes but Onuachu made way for Raphael Van der Vaart in the 79th minute.

Austria

Olanrewaju Kayode, the former Flying Eagles striker came on in the 83rd minute for Ognjen Vukojevic in his team Austria Wien 1-1 away draw against SV Reid. He has scored just two goals in his 6 appearances so far this term.

Round-Up of Nigerians in the Premier League Performance

After the third game this season, we look at the performances of the players over the weekend just before they went on the first international break of the new season.

Dele Alli, the England midfielder of Nigeria descent was on the pitch for the entire duration of the game, and for all his tenacity and handwork he bags himself a yellow card in the 77th minute as his Tottenham team came back from a goal down to drew 1-1 with Liverpool at the White Hart Lane. His teammate and England U-21 forward Joshua Onomah was a late substitute for the Lilywhites, coming on in the 83rd minute for Harry Kane. For the Liverpool team, teenage left-footed forward Sheyi Ojo was not listed for the game. Also, Ovie Ejaria was not with the party as he has now been restored back to the youth team of the Reds by the coach Jurgen Klopp despite his good form during the pre-season. 23yr-old Portuguese-Nigerian Tiago Abiola Ilori was also left out of the team.

Victor Moses, the Super Eagles winger came on in the 77th minute for Willian and scored his side third goal in the 89th minute as Chelsea defeated Burnley 3-0 right there at Stamford Bridge. The goal is his 2nd of the week after scoring in the Blues win in the EFL Cup during the week. Defender Ola Aina was on the bench for the entire game. He is yet to make any appearance for the team this season in the Premier League. Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel was not part of the squad having just returned from the Olympics where he won the Bronze medal with the Dream Team VI. Super Eagles defender Kenneth Omeruo has not yet sorted his career with the Stamford Bridge club.

Nigeria-born England forward and record signing Jordon Ibe was on the pitch for 59 minutes before he was substituted in his team Bournemouth 1-1 away draw against Freddie Ladapo's Crystal Palace. While he was able to contribute to his team almost snatching the 3 points at the Selhurst Park, Freddie was not listed for the party by the home team as the 23yr-old striker is expected to go out on-loan to Oldham Athletic.

Ross Barkley contributed to Everton 1-0 win over Stoke City and was on the pitch for 84 minutes before he was substituted by Argentine defender Ramiro Funes Mori as the Toffees were trying to protect their slim win. The England midfielder who has scored just one goal this season got himself into the Referee books by getting a yellow card in the 9th minute of the encounter.

Ahmed Musa came on in the 75th minute for defending champion Leicester City first win of the season. It is the second consecutive substitute appearance for the former captain of the Super Eagles, and as usual he was a torn in the flesh for the Swansea back-line which his team defeated 2-1 courtesy of goals from star-striker Jamie Vardy and team captain Wes Morgan. In his 3 appearances so far, Musa is yet to score or gives an assist.

Super Eagles top striker Odion Ighalo remained on the pitch for the entire duration in his Watford team 3-1 loss at home to Arsenal. He was given a yellow card in the dying minutes of the 1st half as he continued to search for his 1st goal of the season after bagging 17 in the previous season. Record signing from Granada Isaac Success finally made his debut after coming on in the 77th minute for Nordin Amrabat, but was unable to rescue his team or manage a goal on his debut. New Super Eagles sensation Alex Iwobi was not part of the travelling party for the Gunners, same goes for Chuba Akpom who had scored a goal during a closed door friendly with Liverpool U-21 during the week under the watchful eyes of Arsène Wenger.

At the KCOM stadium, Moses Odubajo was not in the Hull City squad that held on late into the game before conceding the lone goal that caused them to lost to Jose Mourinho's Manchester United team. It is Hull City first loss of the season and it came through the boot of youngster Marcus Rashford. The right-back has been injured since July and he is expected to be out for 6 months.

Kelechi Iheanacho was on the bench throughout as his Manchester City team got a 3-1 win over West Ham United at the Etihad stadium. The coach, Pep Guardiola had given him a start in the UEFA Champions League qualifier during the week, but he could not make it unto the pitch this time around. The Super Eagles invitee had already made 2 substitute appearances this season and without a goal to his name. Defender Tosin Adarabioyo was not named on the substitute bench despite his promotion to the first team for the new season.

Across Europe on Nigerian Players

Here is the round up of some Nigerian players across Europe over the weekend


England
Super Eagles goalkeeper Carl Ikeme conceded his first league goal of the season in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 3-1 win over Birmingham City on Saturday. Ikeme conceded the goal in the 24th minute when he was beaten by Che Adams before goals from Joe Mason, Danny Batth and Jon Dadi Boedvarsson sealed his side’s win. He has kept two clean sheets so far in four games.
Sone Aluko made his fourth star for Fulham in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to Cardiff City and assisted both of his club’s goals. He has scored once since joining the club this summer after being released by Hull City.

Spain
Uche Agbo made his first start for Granada in their 1-1 draw at home to Villarreal and was on for the entire duration of the game.


Scotland
Efe Ambrose was left out of the Celtic squad that defeated St Johnstone 4-2 at McDiarmid Park on Saturday.

France
At the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, France, Elderson Uwa Echiejile was benched for the entire duration of Monaco’s 1-0 win over Nantes.
Vincent Enyeama kept his first clean sheet of the season for Lille as they defeated Dijon by a lone goal.

Italy
Joel Obi was on for 70 minutes as his club Torino played out an enthralling 3-2 against AC Milan at the San Siro stadium in the opening fixture of the new season.

Germany

Super Eagles defender, Leon Balogun, was an unused substitute as Bundesliga side, FSV Mainz beat Unterhaching 4-3 on penalty shootout in the First Round of the German DFB Cup.
Stephan Hain (brace) and Vitalij Lux scored for Unterhaching while Jhon Cordoba, Fabian Frei and Yunus Malli were on target for Mainz in the regulation time scoresheet. Both teams were tied at 3-3 after 120 minutes of football. Then Mainz won 4-2 on penalties.

Turkey
Super Eagles midfielder Ogenyi Onazi scored twice on his Turkish league debut for Trabzonspor, who defeated Kasimpasa 2-0 on Saturday. The former Lazio midfielder opened scoring for his side in the 21st minute, before sealing his side’swin in the 90th minute of the encounter.
Former Super Eagles forward, Emmanuel Emenike was on from the start but couldn't prevent Fenebahce losing 1-0 to Istanbul Basaksehir. Emenike was later replaced by Fernandao on 72 minutes.
At the Yeni Rize Sehir stadium, Godfrey Oboabona played all 90 minutes for Rizespor in their 1-1 sraw at home to Konyaspor.

Belgium
Super Eagles winger, Moses Simon, saw action for 90 minutes as Gent defeated Westerlo 4-2.
Also in Belgium, Wilfred Ndidi made a 90 minutes appearance for Genk who beat homers, Lokeren 3-0.

Netherlands

Fred Friday was in action for AZ Alkmaar who won their away match, beating Utrecht 2-1. Friday later made way for Wouter Weghorst in the 59th minute.


Russia
Former Super Eagles midfielder, Fegor Ogude, featured for 90 minutes as Amkar Perm pip Ural 1-0.

Slovakia
Aliko Bala grabbed a brace in AS Trencin's 3-1 home win against MFK Ruzomberok.
Bala scored in the 17th and 72nd minutes of the match. Rangelo Janga got Trencin's other goal in the 57th minute, while Jakub Mares scored Ruzomberok's only goal in the 38th minute.

Austria
Former junior international, Olanrewaju Kayode, was introduced in the 87th minute for Kevin Friesenbichler in Austria Wien's 3-1 win against Altach. Kayode however got a yellow card in the 90th minute of the game.

Denmark
The duo of Paul Onuachu and Rilwan Hassan were in action for Midtjylland who drew 2-2 against visitors, Sonderjyske. Onuachu was introduced for Hassan 10 minutes into the second hal

Round-up of Nigerian Players Performance in the Premier League (2)

The 2016/2017 season of the Premier League in England is still on, and we look at the contribution of Nigerian players to their respective club sides in the second game of the season.

Kelechi Iheanacho made his second substitute appearance for Manchester City who Stoke City 4-1 at the Bet365 Stadium. The former Golden Eaglet star came on for Sergio Aguero in the 83rd minute and made an instant impact 3 minutes later when he dribbled the goalkeeper and set up an assist for new signing Nolito to put in the net. He also played an important role by faking a dummy to allow teammate Raheem Sterling set up Nolito for his brace of the game.With that Kelechi has now scored twice and assisted once in his last two games against the Potters. Tosin Adarabioyo did not make the bench for the Citizens.

Seyi Ojo and Ovie Ejaria, the two teenage stars were both not listed for Liverpool 2-0 loss to newly promoted Burnley.

Odion Ighalo was right there at Vicarage Road as the Super Eagles striker played for the entire minutes in Watford’s 2-1 loss to Chelsea. It was his second start for the Hornets this season. His compatriot, Isaac Success was not listed for the game because of injury, while Scottish international Ikechi Anya was an unused substitute.

Victor Moses started from the bench again by coming on as a 71st minute substitute for Pedro Rodriguez. Young defender Ola Aina who in the words of the coach jm Conte is "very good and has great potential" was an unused substitute. John Obi Mikel has not team up with the Blues yet due to his involvement in the Rio Olympics.

Dele Alli was on the bench for 68 minutes before coming on for Christian Eriksen as his Tottenham team left it late before scoring the loan goal against Crystal Palace which came through the boot of summer acquisition Victor Wanyama. Joshua Onomah also featured in the final minutes of the White Hart Lane feat by coming on for star striker Harry Kane in the 90th minute. Freddie Ladapo is still out of the Crystal Palace team as he remained on the bench throughout the game. 

Moses Odubajo could not feature in Hull City 2-0 away win against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium as he is still recuperating from injury.

Ross Barkley was instrumental in Everton coming back to win their game away at West Brom 2-1. He played for the entire duration of the match and gave the assist that brought the Tofees back on level term. He had scored in the previous game against Tottenham through a free-kick.

Ahmed Musa started his second game for Premier League Champion from the bench, coming on in the 87th minute in Leicester City 0-0 draw against Arsenal. In the few minutes he spent on the pitch, he tormented the Arsenal back-line and even got a penalty appeal rejected by the Referee. For Arsenal, both Alex Iwobi and Chuba Akpom were not listed for the game. The former was out because of the injury he sustained in the last game, while the latter didn't make the substitute bench.

Jordon Ibe could not prevent his new side Bournemouth from losing 1-0 to West Ham at the London stadium - the newest home in the Premier League - despite playing for 79 minutes in his second game of the season.

Pogba Second Debut for Manchester United Under the Microscope

Sam ADEYEMI
After leaving the Old Trafford outfit for just a compensation fee in 2012, he returned back to the club for a world-record fee in 2016 and made his debut in the second premier league game of the season.Let's evaluate the performance of the Guinean-French on his homecoming debut for the Red Devils.

Paul Labile Pogba, the France international of Guinean descent left a positive impression on his second debut for the Red Devils which was exactly 1616 days after his last game for the club during his first spell. He was instrumental as Manchester United cruised to a 2-0 win - courtesy of Zlatan Ibrahimovic brace - over Southampton despite making a slightly shaky start to his second career for the team.

 
When the €105m paid to Juventus for his service comes to mind, you are most likely not going to agree with coach Jose Mourinho who had suggested ahead of the game that the 23-year-old was unlikely to feature for the full 90 minutes, but the former Juventus star nonetheless remained on the pitch right until the referee blew the final whistle. Pogba, who did receive a warm welcome on his comeback had every reason to be satisfied with his contribution in his "homecoming" debut as he impressed everyone with his sublime passes, energetic display and vital interceptions.

He grew into the game after being a bit nervous in the early minutes by giving the ball away which resulted into Southampton having their first test of the United back-line. But he did had his first shot and only shot on target after 13 minutes, an attempt from the corner of the penalty area into the arms of Fraser Forster, before creating a chance for Ibrahimovic at the half-hour mark with a chipped pass that was headed on by Juan Mata.

He continued to be heavily involved as he made a number of good runs from midfield and could perhaps have scored when he headed over the bar following a cross from the lively Juan Mata, he continued in search of his debut goal as he tried his luck a few more times. There would not be a goal in the end, but Mourinho will have been pleased with what he saw as Pogba stood out in a number of areas.

The 23yr-old Frenchman who have only had just a week training with the team showed his class in the game, he had 104 touches - the most touches in the game of all United Players, 5 interceptions, 4 shots with 1 on target, 2 key passes, 12 dribbles and also did covered 11.3km in the game. Also to highlight more on his dynamism and versatility, he went into challenge on 20 different occasions and won back the possession 13 good times.

He did had his downside in the game, he might have made more passes than anyone but his passing accuracy of 83.1 per cent is not among the top 5 for United. Additionally, he made the most interceptions, but also lost the ball 22 times, more often than any one else in a Red Devils jersey.

So many pundits did praised his performance after the game and in the words of former United captain, Ryan Giggs - "I think the biggest compliment I can give him is that I was watching that game and I wasn't thinking of £89m. I was just thinking of a player enjoying himself and trying things and expressing himself as the game went on. Yes sometimes things won't come off, but he's trying things and he's releasing himself."

In summary, Pogba enjoyed an amazing start to the second part of his Manchester United career, and hopefully he will help bring back glory to the "Theatre of Dreams".

Round-up of Nigerian Players Performance in the Premier League

The 2016/2017 season of the Premier League in England started over the weekend, we look at the contribution of Nigerian players to their respective club sides in the opening fixture

Ahmed Musa He looked lively on his debut in the English top-flight as defending champions Leicester City surprisingly lost 2-1 to manager-less and newly promoted side Hull City at the KCOM Stadium.
The former CSKA star worked tirelessly and provided chances for star forward Jamie Vardy to break the deadlock of which he was unable to convert. He played the entire duration of the game but could not prevent the Foxes becoming the first club during the Premier League era to lose its opening fixture as a defending champion. While for Hull City who were the victorious side, they were made to do it without Moses Odubajo who could not make the Tigers squad because of injury.

Freddie Ladapo At Selhurst Park, the Nigerian remained on the bench as his club Crystal Palace lost 1-0 to West Brom. If he had featured, it would have been his competitive debut for the last-season FA Cup finalist.

Ross Barkley The England international of Nigeria origin scored a fantastic free-kick after five minutes as Everton were held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham Hotspur who had Dele Alli and England U-19 international Joshua Onomah in their ranks. While Ross Barkley and Dele Alli were both on the pitch for the entire game, Josh was a non-playing substitute for the Lilywhites right there at Goodison Park.

Odion Ighalo The Super Eagles striker was on the pitch for 81 minutes at St. Mary’s Stadium when his club Watford shared the spoils with Southampton by playing 1-1. He was replaced by Scotland international of Nigeria descent Ikechi Anya. Former Flying Eagles striker and record signing Isaac Success was not in the Hornets squad, having failed a late fitness test.

Kelechi Iheanacho started on the bench before coming on for Gael Clichy in the 80th minute as his club Manchester City under new manager Pep Guardiola got a 2-1 win against Sunderland courtesy of a late own-goal. The Citizens Elite Squad captain Tosin Adarabioyo was not included in the 18-man squad for the game.

Jordon Ibe The club record signing from Liverpool did start the game for Bournemouth but could do little or less to prevent his club 3-1 loss at home to Manchester United led Jose Mourinho. He did played for 68 minutes before he was replaced by Benik Afobe.

Alex Iwobi His breakout last season to the Arsenal squad continues as he was named in the starting XI for the Gunners game against Liverpool. He did gave an assist for Arsenal first goal of the game before he was replaced in the 59th minute by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain due to a suspected injury. His team did however went on to lose 4-3 to the Reds right there at the Emirates stadium. His compatriot Chuba Akpom was only good enough to be named on the substitute bench by coach Arsène Wenger despite his good form during the pre-season games.
Liverpool teenagers Seyi Ojo and Ovie Ejaria were not part of the travelling party to the Emirates.

Victor Moses After his impressive performance during the pre-season, his first contribution for the Antonio Conte's side was coming on as an 85th-minute substitute for Eden Hazard in a match Chelsea won late in the game by defeating West Ham United 2-1 in Stamford Bridge. Temitayo Aina did not take part in the game as he was left on the bench for the entire duration. Expectedly, Team Nigeria captain to the Olympics John Obi Mikel is not part of the squad due to his involvement in the Rio games.


Feel free to put down your comments.

Premier League summer transfers

Each and every done deal of your favourite club in this summer transfer window

ARSENAL
In:
Granit Xhaka - Borussia Monchengladbach (£30m)
Rob Holding - Bolton (£2m)
Takuma Asano - Sanfrecce Hiroshima (undisclosed)
Kelechi Nwakali - Diamond Football Academy (undisclosed)
Out:
Mikel Arteta - released
Tomas Rosicky - released
Mathieu Flamini - released
Dan Crowley - Oxford (loan)
Isaac Hayden - Newcastle (undisclosed)
Jon Toral - Granada (loan)
Julio Pleguezuelo - Mallorca (loan)
Wellington Silva - Fluminense (undisclosed)
Wojciech Szczesny - Roma (loan)

BOURNEMOUTH
In:
Jordon Ibe - Liverpool (£15m)
Nathan Ake - Chelsea (loan)
Lewis Cook - Leeds United (undisclosed)
Brad Smith - Liverpool (£3m)
Out:
Sylvain Distin - released
Josh Wakefield - released
Stephane Zubar - released
Josh Carmichael - released
Jayden Stockley - Aberdeen (free)
Glenn Murray - Brighton (loan)
Lee Tomlin - Bristol City (undisclosed)
Harry Cornick - Leyton Orient (loan)
Matt Butcher - Yeovil (loan)
Jordan Green - Newport (loan)

BURNLEY
In:
Johann Gudmundsson - Charlton (undisclosed)
Nick Pope - Charlton (undisclosed)
Out:
Lloyd Dyer - released
Joey Barton - Rangers (free)
Matt Taylor - released
Matt Gilks - released
Steven Hewitt - Accrington (free)
Daniel Nizic - Morecambe (free)
Josh Ginnelly - Walsall (loan)

CHELSEA
In:
Michy Batshuayi - Marseille (£33m)
N'Golo Kante - Leicester (£30m)
Out:
Mitchell Beeney - Crawley (loan)
Reece Mitchell - Chesterfield (loan)
Radamel Falcao - end of loan
Alexandre Pato - end of loan
John Swift - released
Tomas Kalas - Fulham (loan)
Kasey Palmer - Huddersfield - loan
Mohamed Salah - Roma (undisclosed)
Tammy Abraham - Bristol City (loan)
Jordan Houghton - Doncaster (loan)
Papy Djilobodji - Sunderland (£8m)

CRYSTAL PALACE
In:
Andros Townsend (£13m)
Steve Mandanda - Marseille (£1.3m)
James Tomkins - West Ham (£10m)
Out:
Brede Hangeland - released
Chris Kettings - released
Marouane Chamakh - released
Patrick McCarthy - released
Emmanuel Adebayor - released
Adrian Mariappa - released
Dwight Gayle - Newcastle (£10m)
Jake Gray - Luton (undisclosed)
Alex McCarthy - Southampton (undisclosed)
Jermone Binnom-Williams - Peterborough (undisclosed)

EVERTON
In:
Maarten Stekelenburg - Fulham (undisclosed)
Idirssa Gueye - Aston Villa (undisclosed)

Ashley Williams - Swansea (undisclosed)
Out:
Tim Howard - Colarado (free)
Steven Pienaar - released
Felipe Mattioni - released
Tony Hibbert - released
Leon Osman - released
Conor Grant - Ipswich (loan)
Russell Griffiths - Cheltenham (loan)
John Stones - Man City (£47.5m)

HULL CITY
In:
Will Mannion - AFC Wimbledon (undisclosed)
Out:
Ryan Taylor - released
Sone Aluko - released
Mo Diame - Newcastle - (undisclosed)

LEICESTER CITY
In:
Ron-Robert Zieler - Hannover 96 (£2.6m)
Luis Hernandez - Sporting Gijon (free)
Nampalys Mendy - Nice (undisclosed)
Raul Uche Rubio - Rayo Vallecano (undisclosed)
Ahmed Musa - CSKA Moscow (£16m)
Bartosz Kapustka - Cracovia (£7.5m)
Out:
Andrej Kramaric - Hoffenheim (£7.5m)
Dean Hammond - Sheffield United (free)
Jacob Blyth - Motherwell (free)
Mark Schwarzer - released
Paul Konchesky - released
Jonny Maddison - Yeovil - released
N'Golo Kante - Chelsea (£30m)
Callum Elder - Brentford (loan)
Michael Cain - Blackpool (loan)
Hamza Choudhury - Burton (loan)

LIVERPOOL
In:
Lorius Karius - Mainz (£4.65m)
Joel Matip - Schalke (free)
Sadio Mane - Southampton (£34m)
Ragnar Klavan - FC Augsburg - £4.2m
Alex Manninger - Augsburg (free)
Georginio Wijnaldum - Newcastle (£25m)
Out:
Joao Carlos Teixeira - Porto (free)
Kolo Toure - Celtic (free)
Danny Ward - Huddersfield (loan)
Ryan Fulton - Chesterfield (loan)
Sergi Canos - Norwich (undisclosed)
Jordon Ibe - Bournemouth (£15m)
Martin Skrtel - Fenerbahce (£5.5m)
Adam Bogdan - Wigan (loan)
Joe Allen - Stoke (£13m)
Ryan Kent - Barnsley (loan)
Brad Smith - Bournemouth (£3m)
Jack Dunn - Morecambe (loan)
Allan - Hertha Berlin (loan)
Lloyd Jones - Swindon (loan)
Jon Flanagan - Burnley (loan)
Ryan McLaughlin - Oldham (loan)

MANCHESTER CITY
In:
Ilkay Gundogan - Borussia Dortmund (£20m)
Nolito - Celta Vigo (£13.8m)
Aaron Mooy - Melbourne City (undisclosed)
Oleksandr Zinchenko - FC Ufa (Undisclosed)
Leroy Sane - Schalke (£37m)
Gabriel Jesus - Palmeiras (£27m)
Marlos Moreno - Atletico Nacional ($4.75m)
John Stones - Everton (£47.5m)
Out:
Edin Dzeko - AS Roma (£8.25m)
Martin Demichelis - released
Richard Wright - released
Jack Byrne - Blackburn (loan)
Aaron Mooy - Huddersfield (loan)
Gabriel Jesus - Palmeiras (loan)
Marlon Moreno - Deportivo La Coruna (loan)

MANCHESTER UNITED
In: 
Eric Bailly - Villarreal (£28.5m)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Paris Saint-Germain (free)
Henrikh Mkhitaryan - Borussia Dortmund (£26.3m)
Paul Pogba - Juventus - (£90m)
Out: 
Victor Valdes - released
Nick Powell - released
Tyler Reid - Swansea - undisclosed
Joe Rothwell - Oxford - undisclosed
Ashley Fletcher - West Ham (free)
Nick Powell - Wigan (free)
Joe Rothwell - Oxford (free)
Guillermo Varela - Eintracht Frankfurt (loan)
Donald Love - Sunderland - £5.5m (combined)
Paddy McNair - Sunderland - £5.5m (combined)

MIDDLESBROUGH
In:
Viktor Fischer - Ajax (£3.75m)
Bernardo Espinosa - Sporting Gijon (free)
Marten de Roon - Atalanta (£12m)
Victor Valdes - unattached (free)
Antonio Barragan - Valencia (undisclosed)
Alvaro Negredo - Valencia (loan)
Brad Guzan - Aston Villa (free)
Out: 
Jonathan Woodgate - released
Rhys Williams - Perth Glory (free)
Connor Ripley - Oldham (loan)

SOUTHAMPTON
In:
Nathan Redmond - Southampton (£10m)
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - Bayern Munich (£12.5m)
Alex McCarthy - Crystal Palace (undisclosed)
Jeremy Pied - Nice (undisclosed)
Out:
Graziano Pelle - Shandong Luneng (£13m)
Juanmi - Real Sociedad (£3.75m)
Gaston Ramirez - released
Kelvin Davis - retired
Sadio Mane - Liverpool (£34m)
Jason McCarthy - Walsall (loan)
Victor Wanyama - Tottenham (£11m)
Bevis Mugabi - Yeovil (free)
Sam Gallagher - Blackburn (loan)

STOKE CITY
In:
Ramadan Sobhi - Al Ahly (£5m)
Joe Allen - Liverpool (£13m)
Ryan Sweeney - AFC Wimbledon (undisclosed)
Out:
Steve Sidwell - released
Peter Odemwingie - released

SUNDERLAND
In:
Papy Djilobodji - Chelsea (£8m)
Donald Love - Sunderland (£5.5m combined)
Paddy McNair - Sunderland - (£5.5m combined)
Out:
Danny Graham - Blackburn (free)
Santiago Vergini - Boca Juniors (free)
Mikael Mandron - released
Steven Fletcher - Sheffield Wednesday (free)
Steve Harper - released
Wes Brown - released
Emanuele Giaccherini - Napoli (undisclosed)
Adam Matthews - Bristol City (loan)
Will Buckley - Sheffield Wednesday (loan))

SWANSEA
In:
Mike van der Hoorn - Ajax (undisclosed)
Leroy Fer - QPR (undisclosed)
Tyler Reid - Manchester United (undisclosed)
George Byers - Watford (free)
Fernando Llorente - Sevilla (undisclosed)
Borja Baston - Atletico Madrid (£15m)
Out:
Ashley Williams - Everton (undisclosed)
Eder - Lille (£3.4m)
Andre Ayew - West Ham (£20.5m)
Lee Lucas - released
Daniel Alfei - released
Alberto Paloschi - Atalanta (undisclosed)
Kyle Bartley - Leeds (loan)
Matt Grimes - Leeds - loan
Ryan Hedges - Yeovil (loan)
Kenji Gorre - Northampton (loan)
Bafetimbi Gomis - Marseille (loan)
Adam King - Southend (loan)
Josh Sheehan - Newport (loan)

TOTTENHAM
In: 
Victor Wanyama - Southampton (£11m)
Vincent Janssen - AZ Alkmaar (£17m)
Out:
Grant Ward - Ipswich (undisclosed)
Alex Pritchard - Norwich (undisclosed)
Federico Fazio - Roma (loan)

WATFORD
In:
Jerome Sinclair - Liverpool (fee going to tribunal)
Pervis Estupinan - Udinese (loan)
Christian Kabasele - Genk (undisclosed)
Juan Camilo Zuniga - Napoli (loan)
Brice Dja Djedje - Marseille (undisclosed)
Out:
 Luke Simpson - released
Joel Ekstrand - released
Uche Ikpeazu - released
George Byers - Swansea (free)
Almen Abdi - Sheffield Wednesday (undisclosed)
Daniel Pudil - Sheffield Wednesday (undisclosed)
Steven Berghuis - Feyenoord (loan)

WEST BROM
In:
Matt Phillips - QPR (£5.5m)
Out:
Victor Anichebe - released
Stephane Sessegnon - released
Kyle Howkins - Mansfield (loan)
Tahvon Campbell - Yeovil (loan)

WEST HAM
In:
Gokhan Tore - Besiktas (loan)
Toni Martinez - Valencia (£2.25m)
Sofiane Feghouli - Valencia (free)
Havard Nordtveit - Borussia Monchengladbach (free)
Domingos Quina - Chelsea (free)
Ashley Fletcher - Manchester United (free)
Arthur Masuaku - Olympiacos (£6m)
Andre Ayew - Swansea (£20.5m)
Jonathan Calleri - Deportivo Maldonado (loan)
Out:
Elliot Lee - released
Joey O'Brien - released
Stephen Hendrie - Blackburn (loan)
George Dobson - Walsall (loan)
Lewis Page - Coventry (loan)
Josh Cullen - Bradford (loan)
Josh Pask - Gillingham (loan)

7-things you need to know about the 2016/2017 Premier League

Sam ADEYEMI 
This season the Premier League is packed with exciting managers with big reputations, world top players with great talents and of course more money. Here we take a look at seven different things that will have impact on what the end of the season will look like.

Club Ambition Each club has come into the season with different agenda; some is to reclaim lost glory, some to retain last season success - which is relative depending on how one looks at it, some to avoid drop and for some it is to be the best in the division.
 
The atmosphere the club administrators create for the technical team, staffs and players will actually be what will be translated to the pitch of play. Taking for example is the Chelsea's case last season which culminated into the club who was the defending champion finishing 10th at the end of the season. 

Thus, the administrator for the clubs must set their ambition right and make it clear to everyone involved in the day-to-day running of the team. Right from the club coach, backroom staffs, players, ball-boys, groundsman, chefs, chauffer, season-ticket holders, registered fans and supporters should all be aware of the club targets for the season.

With the right cloud, and high morale, players will give their all to make the whole squad and fans happy at the end of the season.
Manager Ideas The earliest the coach is able to instill his philosophy(ies) into the team the best it is for the club to achieve their target. This season has brought in changes in clubs manager, we now have Antonio Conte (Chelsea), Pép Guardiola (Man City), Jose Mourinho (Man Utd), Walter Mazzari (Watford), David Moyes (Sunderland), Ronald Koeman (Everton) coupled with Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham), Slaven Bilic (West Ham) and Arsène Wenger (Arsenal) all coaching different sides. To put it in the words of the latter, this season can be dubbed as the "world championship of managers".
 
The coaches must be flexible and ready to make bold decisions like tactical change and resting players - even the stars of the team when they are less performing. Also, the ability to manage their egos and keep everyone happy will greatly affect the team chemistry, which will eventually bring success on the pitch for all to cheers about at the end of the day. 


 

Squad Depth An average team will play 45 games this season (Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup) depending on their performances. When UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League are added for the teams playing in Europe, the games can get up to 60 for some teams - depending on their progress as mentioned earlier. Expectedly, teams with more quality in their ranks tend to do better on all fronts compared to teams with no depth in their squad.

Based on this, traditional top teams have already spent a lot in this transfer window to boost their ranks in all departments with their youth teams also shunning out players to help the main squad during the season. We've already seen a world-record fee been set with the arrival of Paul Pogba to Manchester United from Juventus, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrik Mkhirtayan and Eric Bailly are the other big signings that have put up a tent in the red side of Manchester.

The blue side of the city has also brought in a lot of young talents like John Stones, Nolito, Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane and the likes to the Etihad stadium. N'Golo Kante, Michy Batshuayi, Granit Xhaka, Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum, Vincent Janssen and Victor Wanyama are few of the others who have been added to the other big teams.
How well this new players gel with their teammate will tell a lot about where the team will lie at the end of the season.

 

Players Performance This summer transfer has seen six clubs breaking their transfer records to bring in new players that they believe will add something new to what they have. Aside from players mentioned above, new signings like Ahmed Musa, Sofiane Feghouli, Borjan Baston, Isaac Success, Andre Ayew and so many other established stars in the league like Eden Hazard, Riyad Mahrez, Romelu Lukaku, Wayne Rooney, Sergio Aguero, Kevin de Bruyne, Alexis Sanchez, Jamie Vardy, Yaya Toure, Harry Kane, Cesc Fabregas and Dimitri Payét all have something to show their fans and coaches.

The form of this players during the course of the season especially in critical matches will most definitely affect the overall performance of the club.


Players must play to the coach instructions and be ready to sacrifice all they have got and with unwavering loyalty to the jersey they are putting on. The best of a coach can only be seen in the display by the players. Footballers must enjoy their games and make sure the spectators does too

Injury As it is with every other sports, footballers can sustain injury at any point in time during the season. The team must find the balance on how to cope with injuries particularly when it happens to an influential member of the squad. For several seasons now, a certain London club has been found wanting in this kind of scenario for which results at the end of the season showing their undoings.

A large squad will help with this, and also tactical tweak and switches knowing the fact that there is no break in-between the season as we get to see in other leagues across Europe.
Officiating With the advent of technology like the goal-line technology and additional assistant referee last season, there were still some controversial calls by the referee in some games. This "little" mistakes have influenced the outcomes of matches a number of times than we can count.

Expectedly, there will be a massive improvement in this aspect of the game this season. Even though referees are humans, the errors must be less this time around, and coupled with the fact they are more protected and empowered due to the new rules that will be in effect this season I expect them to do far better than the past seasons.


Referred are the judge in a football game, thus they must be impeccable and strive to be fair in all their actions this season. When the officiating is good, each sides enjoy the game - same for the spectators - and play their hearts out to ensure victory.
 

Fans Support Often called the 12th man in the game, the constant support and ambience they create gives life to the matches. Aside players ambition, it is the fans that makes the players wanting to give their all on the pitch and eventually bring joy to their hearts. They pay to watch this players week-in week-out, travel to different locations to watch their favourite team plays, buy the club merchandise and scream their hearts out as they hype this players and the team they passionately support. 

When the fans are in great mood, the team mostly tend to perform better and enjoy their games. But a strained relationship or less belief from the stands seems to find its way unto the pitch and dampen the spirit of the players.

Therefore, for any team that will top the log at the end of the season, the fans will have to be vociferous and show their belief in the team. If this can be achieved, the team will most likely punch above their weight. In recent memory, the Leicester City of last season is a perfect example of this sporting strategy.


 
After all this my submission above, as this 2016/17 season starts I give you my top-seven clubs come May next year in this particular order; Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham United.
 

You are free to put up your own if you do not agree with me.

Odion Ighalo hopeful of doing the double over Liverpool

Nigeria and Watford top marksman Odion Ighalo is being optimistic of his team doing a double over Liverpool when both teams meet at the Merseyside on Sunday in the English Premier League.

Ighalo was on target scoring two of the goals in a 3-nil win over the Reds at the Vicarage Road in the first leg encounter in December with Chelsea's loanee Nathan Ake the other scorer.

Liverpool has been in imperious form lately, and just on Thursday defeated Spanish team Villareal 3-0 (3-1 on aggregate) to confirmed their place in the Europa League final in Basel - their first European final since 2007.

But the former Udinese and Granada striker says he is aware of the expectations for the game. Speaking to the club's website, he said:

“It’s going to be a tough game. When we played them last time they had a new coach, they weren’t doing well, but now they are a better team.

“The whole team fought from the first minute for each other, we chased down every ball, we didn’t give them time to play.

“We have to fight the same way, probably even more than we did in the last game. It’s possible for us to win there, but we have to be determined and work hard to get the result,” he continued.



The 26-year old has been on a goal drought for a while, he has scored only 3 goals since the turn of the year and 14 goals overall in the Premier League this season with most of them coming in the first half of the season.

The Premier League Player of the month for December has remained positive and he is hopeful of ending the campaign with more goals.

“I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved,” he continued. “I’m happy, but I need to end the season on a good note. I’m still fighting and working hard every day.

“I know the goals will come though, and the most important thing is that the team is winning.

“We have got to the 40-point mark, which was our main target, and everything that we get now is a bonus. We want to keep winning and see how high we can finish,” he concluded.

The Super Eagles striker scoring abilities have also earned him a place in Nigeria’s squad for the friendlies against Luxemburg and Mali later this month.

LEICESTER CITY'S TITLE TRIUMPH-- A complete transformation!

On 2nd May, 2015, Leicester City F.C. fans were celebrating a 3-nil win over Newcastle, which pushed them further away from the drop to the second division as their relegation battle began to seem realistic but none could have imagined that exactly a year later, they would be celebrating the EPL title.

If the Pre-Season Friendlies in 2014 had raised hopes in some quarters that they wouldn't battle relegation in the new season, after going unbeaten in 7 matches, a run that saw them come out tops against Everton which they had not won in 5 encounters dating back to Feb 10, 2001. Winning 6 out of 7, one of which was a 6-1 thumping of Likeston in preparation for a celebration laden season with the then Leicester coach, Nigel Pearson stating he was happy with the team performance. None would have dared to hope more that at the end of the 2015/16 season, they would still be in the top tier.

They had not only remained in the top tier but also did that in magnificent style; winning the league with 2 matches left after Chelsea held Tottenham to a 2-2 draw in a match Spurs which had gone 2-0 ahead in. With pictures later surfacing online showing Leicester players watching the match with rapt attention in the home of striker Jamie Vardy to watch the Tottenham match, evidently, tensions were on the higher end all over England as all sought to see if the day would be the one inwhich the unlikeliest of teams would win the EPL title.

Leicester coach, Claudio Ranieri has at several points in the season played down their title hopes, content instead to take a match at a time, secure qualification for Europe before daring to dream of the prestigious title. Perhaps that has been the key to the final triumph, with the experienced coach bringing stability to the team and ensuring players do not go overboard or ahead of themselves as the title run drew nearer to completion. A wise approach by the coach considering any further slip ups toward the tail end of the season would have only driven 2nd placed Spurs towards fighting more for the title.

Now, there are no more deliberations or speculations, no more mathematics and stated statistics as to why Leicester would or would not win the league... Only a celebration of the obvious and a widespread belief that anything is possible. Although it has looked to be inevitable over the last few weeks with Tottenham dropping points, several pundits and former players still see it as unbelievable. Former Leicester, Everton and England striker Gary Lineker describing the hometown team's achievement as "the biggest sporting shock of his lifetime".

To cap the complete turn around that the team experienced in less than a year, 29 year-old club top scorer, Jamie Vardy said, "It's an unbelievable feeling. I've never known anything like it. We were scrapping to stay in the league last season and on Saturday we'll be lifting the trophy... It's the biggest achievement in the history of a great club and we all feel privileged to be part of it".

From relegation battlers to EPL winners, it is truly a tale of a complete transformation!

Written by: Bravedave Abisoye Osifeko (@bravedave01)

Is it Nico Rosberg season in Formula One

German and Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg won the Russian Grand Prix in Socchi over the weekend, and thereby became the first man to win the first 4 races of the season since Michael Schumacher did it in 2004.

The 30-year Rosberg started in the pole position since he clocked the fastest time in the Test practice 1 and 2, and led every lap of the race afterwards.

Nico's victory at Socchi is his seventh consecutive win dating back to last October at the Mexican Grand Prix, the race after Hamilton had clinched his third world title. Only three other drivers in F1 history have achieved that feat - Alberto Ascari, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel - and all went on to win the championship that year.

Defending champion and team-mate Lewis Halmiton came second in the race with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen coming third to stand on the podium alongside the Mercedes duo.

Rosberg said: "I am well aware Lewis is going to bounce back when he has a clean weekend and it will be the usual tough battle against him."

"Sport is all about ups and downs. I just need to mentally prepare.""The other people did not have Lewis Hamilton as their team-mate.

"Yes, I have a good points lead but there are 425 points to go and I have only a 43-point lead. It is completely not worth talking about.

"Lewis is driving as strong as ever. For sure he will bounce back massively. He doesn't have an issue with fighting back either with his head.

"I am sure we will see a lot more of the battle between us and it is always going to be a tough battle."

As it stands Rosberg is leading the championship by 43 points over Lewis Hamilton with 17 races left in the season and next will be the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona in mid-May.