Chinnan's blog

Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger, has revealed that some of his players picked up knocks, in their 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday. Alex Iwobi picked up a hamstring injury, but played the entire 90 minutes. Henrikh Mkhitaryan who only made his return to the Gunners squad after two weeks, was also taken off. While goalkeeper David Ospina sustained a rib problem. “I took off Mkhitaryan because he had a little knock on his knee again, on the same knee – we could see that just looking at him in the dressing room. “Ospina has a rib problem and Alex Iwobi has a hamstring problem, so we’ll see how well everyone recovers. Thursday will come very quickly. “Definitely? At the moment, no, but we’ll have to monitor them over the next 48 hours. We’ll know more on Tuesday.” Arsenal travel to Atletico Madrid on Thursday for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final. The first leg ended 1-1 at the Emirates.

England’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will miss the World Cup this summer after injuring a knee during Liverpool’s Champions League tie against Roma. The 24-year-old midfielder was taken off on a stretcher in the 15th minute of Tuesday’s match at Anfield after challenging Aleksandar Kolarov. He had a scan on Wednesday which revealed a knee ligament injury. “Absolutely devastated to have picked up this injury at such a crucial time,” said Oxlade-Chamberlain. He also said the injury “pales in comparison” to the news of a man being left in a critical condition after being attack outside Anfield before the match. It is understood Oxlade-Chamberlain spoke to England manager Gareth Southgate to inform him about the injury. “The extent of the injury means Oxlade-Chamberlain is set to miss the remainder of the campaign for Liverpool, as well as the World Cup in Russia with England,” Liverpool said in a statement. “Oxlade-Chamberlain will now begin a rehabilitation programme to ena...

Former Manchester United player, Garth Crooks has branded the club midfielder, Ander Herrera the “most irritating player in the Premier League.” Herrera joined United in 2014 from Athletic Bilbao. He scored the winner in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham at Wembley. He has made over 150 appearances for the Red Devils, and has proven to be a dependable figure for United, helping Jose Mourinho win the EFL Cup and Europa League last season. The 28-year-old has, however, been associated with diving and poor tackles, and it is for this reason that Crooks says he is the “most irritating player” in England’s top-flight. The former English international told BBC Sport, “I find Ander Herrera the most irritating player in the Premier League. “He looks like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. But if he’s not pulling your shirt, he’s leaving his foot in on his opposite number and if anyone touches him he goes down as if he’s been poleaxed. “Against Spurs in the FA Cup s...

The Federal Government has lamented that its vast investment in the power sector is not translating into improved power supply in the country because the power distributing companies, DISCOs, have no capacity for effective distribution of electricity generated by transmission companies. Speaking through the Head of Service of the Federation , HoS, Mrs Winifred Oyo Ita, yesterday in Calabar, Cross River State, while commissioning the 60 MVA, 132/33 Power Transformer, the government claimed the power distributing companies were rather blaming the government for the poor power supply in the country. According to her: “There is huge investment in the power sector all over the country but so far as the Power Distribution Companies are not investing to improve their distribution capacity such that they are able to send out this power to the end users, Nigerians will not appreciate the large volume of money being invested in power generation- that is the truth. “We are appealing to t...

Arsenal are expected to announce the man who will replace Arsene Wenger as manager next week, according to Gary Neville. The former Manchester United captain, believes the Gunners already know who will replace Wenger, who will step down after this season. Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: “The news that was broke to us earlier this week, I think it was agreed at the end of last season, it isn’t a surprise. “The two-year contract was a shield. I would think the back-room team, the directors, owners at Arsenal have been working on a transition plan. “I think they’ll give Arsene Wenger three, four, five days of what would be the incredible acknowledgement and appreciation of his achievements, that’s probably right. “But I would expect next week there to be an appointment in place so everyone can face forward, look in the right direction, get the recruitment right, the players. “Do you not think they know who the next manager will be, [Ivan] Gazidis? I’d be absolutely s...

About thirteen African athletes have eloped from their training camps after arriving Australia for the Commonwealth games. Weightlifter Arcangeline Fouodji Sonkbou from Cameroon among missing African athletes African athletes committing vanishing acts at the Australian Commonwealth Games have increased to 13, with five more from Uganda and Rwanda also disappearing. Eight competitors from Cameroon were suspected to have fled on Wednesday, before the confirmation today that athletes from Rwanda and Uganda have also gone into the thin air. The number of the missing athletes may even go higher as organisers of the game in Gold Coast verify the whereabouts of two squash players from Sierra Leone. “We’re obviously looking at it very carefully,” Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive David Grevemberg told reporters. “We have a service to people who have legitimate visas to be in this country,” he added. “Until it becomes a true issue and somebody has outstayed the...

A Kenyan man identified as David Charowass rushed to a General Hospital on emergency after he allegedly swallowed his toothbrush. According to reports, Mr Charo was brushing his teeth when the toothbrush slid down into his throat. The bizarre incident which took place on Sunday, April 1, has left many in shock as the man appeared in good condition, and could speak conveniently. A series of X-rays carried out on the victim by the medics showed the toothbrush still inside him, as he awaited medical attention. According of a relative who spoke to press men on Baraka FM; “He is here at Makadara. He was brushing his teeth when the toothbrush slid from his hand and he swallowed it.They have done three X-ray tests on him already but he has not been attended to further,” Though the toothbrush is yet to be removed, the hospital medics have him under observation in custody of the emergency unit.

Aliko Dangote, billionaire and chief executive officer of Dangote Group, gestures as he speaks during a panel session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. World leaders, influential executives, bankers and policy makers attend the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos from Jan. 17 – 20. Photographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said telecoms business in Nigeria thrived because of the initiative of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Dangote said this at a business conference organised by the Gateway Partners in Singapore. The video of the conference was posted on Youtube and Facebook on Tuesday. The billionaire said government policies could either help businesses to grow or kill them. He, therefore, stated that it took the creativity of Obasanjo to give telecoms companies a tax holiday before they could make profit. Dangote added, “The telecoms ind...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday approved the extension of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme to June 30, 2018. According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the extension after the original March 31 date was based on the appeals of professional bodies and individual taxpayers. Adesina quoted the President as saying that no further extension will be approved after June 30. He further quoted Buhari as explaining that a new date was also given, based on the conviction of the Ministry of Finance that the overall objective to increase compliance will be attained, and additional revenue will accrue. The presidential spokesman indicated that a fresh Executive Order will be made to give legal backing to the new timeline. “For a nation of people who are competitive and driven, it is not a pride that we are the lowest performer in tax to GDP, not just in Africa, but in the world. “Nigeria’s growth needs are such ...

Omoyele Sowore, 2019 presidential aspirant and founder of online news platform, Saharareporters, has described Nigeria as a sick nation under the current administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari. He gave this verdict during a town hall meeting at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Oyo State. Sowore said that Nigerian workers will be paid 100,000 as minimum wage and that the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members will be paid N50,000 and that if anything happens to a serving youth corps member, the family will get N10 million as insurance. According to him, “Nigeria is sick and it needs a doctor, whatever ideology you call that is what I am. Nigeria is in need of a future that can be guaranteed to her children, whatever ideology will deliver that, you call me that. All these ideologies we are branding around, they are ideologies that were developed by other countries when they had a problem and they wanted to solve them. By the time we are ...

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane says he is confident he can eclipse Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah to win the Premier League golden boot. The England forward has scored 24 times this term but trails Egypt international Salah by five goals. Kane, 24, is bidding to become the first player since Thierry Henry to finish as the Premier League top scorer for a third consecutive season. “I still believe I can. There are still games to go,” Kane said. “I’ve got to focus on my game. I can’t control what he does. “Obviously as a striker, it would be great to win the golden boot again and I will keep working hard from now until the end of the season.” Kane has returned to full fitness following an ankle injury while Salah, 25, missed the Merseyside derby on Saturday after suffering a groin problem during Liverpool’s victory over Manchester City on Wednesday. Kane’s objective is also helped by the fact that Spurs have six top-flight games remaining, while the Reds only have five. ...

Aisha Yesufu, co-convener of BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, advocacy group on Thursday insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari was “incompetent, clueless and directionless.” She made the remark while noting that Buhari cannot be doing the same thing the previous administration did and not expect to be criticized. In a tweet, the activist wrote: “President Muhammadu Buhari @MBuhari cannot be doing the same thing himself, his party and citizens criticised last administration and not expect to be criticised. “Himself and his party may be silent but we the citizens would criticise. “The use of Aisha Yesufu’s language to the President is unbecoming but President Muhammadu Buhari @MBuhari ‘s incompetence, cluelessness, ineptitude, directionless leadership coldness & selfishness is not unbecoming? “Get your priorities right! He would soon travel out you nko?” This is coming at a time when the Presidency has frowned at those criticizing the Buhari’s administration. Buhari’s Me...

Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has claimed that he will never be as good as Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos. Both players are regarded as two of the most effective players at the back in world football, and are scheduled to go head-to-head when their respective clubs meet in the Champions League quarter-finals. However, Chiellini has suggested that Ramos is a class above him, insisting that he will never be able to replicate the Spaniard’s “technical quality” or “explosiveness”. The 33-year-old told El Mundo: “You have to learn from the best, of course, but not supplant them. “I’ll never have the technical quality or the explosiveness of Sergio Ramos. He’s the best centre-back in the world and he knows how to play the matches that really matter.”

Paris Saint-Germain striker, Edinson Cavani has insisted he wants to remain at the club, amid speculation he could leave this summer. Cavani scored two goals for PSG in their Coupe de la Lige final victory over Monaco on Saturday but hopes that he can stay and win more silverware with the Ligue 1 club. Speaking after the final whistle in Bordeaux, the 31-year-old Uruguay international made his future intentions clear. “I am very happy to be here. “I have been with PSG for five years — a significant part of my career. “The important thing is to deliver, along with my teammates, trophies for the club. I hope that this love story will continue. In any event, I will give everything, the maximum, until the final day. “I want to stay, and I think that this is a normal feeling. However, we will see, I hope to stay. Sometimes, though, you never know what will happen,” Cavani told reporters in Bordeaux.