Saturday, 11 March 2017
Tuesday, 7 March 2017
Bayern blitz leaves Wenger with nowhere to hide
Arsenal's French manager Arsene Wenger (C) greets Arsenal's Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez after he is substituted during the UEFA Champions League last 16 second leg football match between Arsenal and Bayern Munich at The Emirates Stadium in London on March 7, 2017. PHOTO: Ian KINGTON / IKIMAGES / AFP
Bayern Munich condemned Arsene Wenger to more humiliation as 10-man Arsenal were eliminated from the Champions League with a crushing 5-1 defeat amid furious protests against the beleaguered Gunners boss on Tuesday.
Aiming to stage an incredible recovery from a 5-1 first leg deficit, Wenger’s side briefly looked capable of a famous escape act when Theo Walcott opened the scoring in the first half at the Emirates Stadium.
But any hopes Wenger’s recent problems would be erased in historic fashion were brutally dashed by Robert Lewandowski’s second half penalty and Laurent Koscielny’s dismissal for conceding that spot-kick.
Wenger cut a forlorn figure as Arjen Robben and Douglas Costa netted before Arturo Vidal’s double fired Bayern into the quarter-finals with a 10-2 aggregate victory.
It was the first time Arsenal had conceded five at the Emirates and by the closing stages, there was a funereal atmosphere on an evening that started with Arsenal fans staging a protest march calling for Wenger to quit and ended with a chorus of boos and banners held up proclaiming: “Enough is enough – Wenger out”.
It was yet another chastening experience in the Champions League for Wenger, who has now seen Arsenal eliminated in the last 16 for seven successive seasons.
With their Premier League title hopes in tatters and even a top four finish far from guaranteed, Wenger’s 184th Champions League match as Arsenal boss may well prove to be his last as speculation grows that he will terminate his 21-year reign at the end of a wretched season.
Having restored Alexis Sanchez to his team despite reports the Arsenal forward wants to leave after being dropped for Saturday’s loss at Liverpool, it was a sign of the misery to come for Wenger when Danny Welbeck was taken ill in the pre-match warm-up, forcing Olivier Giroud into the line-up.
Arsenal would have to make history to go through as no team in the Champions League era had overturned a four-goal deficit and many Gunners fans gave them no chance judging by the swathes of empty red seats around the Emirates.
– Embarrassing –
Even the stay-aways wouldn’t have predicted such an embarrassing loss when Walcott struck in the 20th minute.
Taking possession wide on the right flank, Walcott advanced unchecked by the ponderous Bayern defence and, from an acute angle, he unloaded a powerful strike that flashed over Manuel Neuer’s unconvincing attempted save and into the roof of the net.
Walcott had a penalty appeal turned down after Xabi Alonso caught the winger and he was close to a second goal when he surged onto Shkodran Mustafi’s pass before firing into the side-netting.
But Giroud, unmarked eight yards out, wastefully headed over from Aaron Ramsey’s cross early in the second half, and that would prove Arsenal’s final chance.
When Lewandowski got behind Koscielny in the 55th minute, the Arsenal defender’s panicked response was to trip the Pole, conceding a penalty and earning himself a red card.
Lewandowski picked himself up to send David Ospina the wrong way with a clinical spot-kick and the Emirates immediately fell into anarchy.
Faced with an inevitable exit, Wenger retreated to the dug out as insults rained down on him from frustrated fans, and his players waved the white flag as well.
Fittingly, Bayern’s second goal in the 68th minute came about after Sanchez was caught in possession on the edge of his own penalty area, with Robben gleefully picking the Chilean’s pocket before slotting past Ospina.
That opened the floodgates and Costa curled home in the 78th minute before Vidal punished woeful defending to make it four two minutes later.
With Arsenal’s players just waiting to be put out of their misery, Vidal waltzed through to make it five in the 85th minute and Wenger’s agony was complete.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mUGQzC
Monday, 20 February 2017
Ton-up Walcott ends Sutton’s FA Cup dream
Arsenal's English midfielder Theo Walcott (2nd R) celebrates with teammates after scoring their second goal, his 100th goal for Arsenal, during the English FA Cup fifth round football match between Sutton United and Arsenal at the Borough Sports Ground, Gander Green Lane in south London on February 20, 2017.<br />Glyn KIRK / AFP
Theo Walcott scored his 100th Arsenal goal as Arsene Wenger’s side ended non-league minnows Sutton United’s FA Cup fairytale with a 2-0 victory in the FA Cup on Monday.
The England forward added to Lucas Perez’s opener as Arsenal returned to winning ways following their 5-1 drubbing by Bayern Munich last week and set up a home quarter-final with another non-league team, Lincoln City.
But the narrow margin of victory belied the 105 places that separate the two teams in England’s football pyramid, with Sutton currently 17th in the fifth-tier National League.
The south London club had hoped to emulate their famous 1989 win over Coventry City, FA Cup winners 19 months previously, but there was no disgrace in defeat in their first ever fifth-round game.
Arsenal were given several uncomfortable moments on the 3G pitch at Sutton’s 5,000-capacity Gander Green Lane ground, which was full to bursting with fans in yellow Sutton T-shirts, hats and scarves.
The home supporters almost had a goal to cheer as well, but Roarie Deacon, who began his career at Arsenal, saw his 25-yard effort cannon back off the bar in the second half.
Wenger will continue to face questions about his future but, for now at least, his dream of winning a record seventh FA Cup remains intact.
He made seven changes to the team humiliated by Bayern in the Champions League, with only goalkeeper David Ospina, Shkodran Mustafi, Granit Xhaka and Alex Iwobi keeping their places.
For all the international players in Arsenal’s ranks, there was no distinct gap in quality between the sides in the early exchanges as the visitors slowly got to grips with the unfamiliar surface.
Arsenal’s first shot, a Mohamed Elneny effort that sailed miles off-target, drew hoots of derision from the home fans, but in the 26th minute the visitors went ahead.
– Holding careless –
Perez swapped passes with Xhaka and then cut in onto his left foot from the right flank before sending in a skidding low cross that evaded everyone to nestle in the bottom-left corner.
Briefly, Arsenal threatened to make their experience count, with Nacho Monreal drawing a smothering save from Sutton goalkeeper Ross Worner and both Walcott and Alex Iwobi going close.
But Arsenal’s over-confidence at the back twice almost gifted Sutton an equaliser.
Rob Holding nearly had his pocket picked on the edge of his own box and shortly before half-time Ospina passed the ball straight to Sutton’s Adam May, who fired wide with his left foot.
An overhit Holding back-pass that sent Ospina scrambling had Arsenal’s fans holding their breath again within seconds of kick-off in the second half.
They gave themselves breathing space in the 55th minute, however, when Monreal crossed low from the left and Walcott turned in his milestone goal from close range.
But if Arsenal thought their second goal would put the game to bed, they were mistaken as Sutton produced their best spell of the game.
Maxime Biamou shot straight at Ospina, captain Jamie Collins powered a header over the bar at a corner and Deacon, the ex-Arsenal trainee, cracked a shot against the crossbar from distance.
The closing stages yielded the surreal sight of Arsenal’s Chilean star Alexis Sanchez, one of the world’s most feared forwards, making his entrance as a replacement for Iwobi.
“Who are ya?” chanted Sutton’s fans, their sense of mischief intact until the end.
Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lfFhtX
Monday, 30 January 2017
NNPC distances self from royalty paid by oil companies (Read full details)
The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, said this in a statement released in Abuja on Monday by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Ndu Ughamadu.
Baru said this while shedding light on the role of NNPC in the oil revenue collection process at a hearing of the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Oil Prospecting Licenses (OPLs) and Oil Mining Leases (OMLs).
Baru, who was represented by the Corporation’s Chief Operating Officer, Upstream, Mr Bello Rabiu, said it was the duty of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), not the NNPC, that was charged with the responsibility of taking receipts of signature bonuses and royalty.
He, however, said the arrangement allowed NNPC to lift the royalty oil from Production Sharing Contracts (PSC) and remit the proceeds to the DPR.
Baru added that confirmation and reconciliation of royalty payments to the sister agency were carried out at the monthly meeting between the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and revenue generating agencies.
He further assured the Ad-Hoc House Committee that NNPC would furnish it with all pieces of information on its royalty remittances from the PSCs to the DPR from 1992 till date.
The statement quoted the Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee, Rep. Gideon Gwani, as saying that the Committee invited all agencies involved in the collection of oil revenues and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to resolve the claims and counter-claims regarding signature bonuses and other revenues from some OPLs and OMLs.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that there have been accusations and counter accusations on how the corporation defrauds government of oil revenues.
Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2jMJEMt
Sunday, 29 January 2017
The Biography Of Kid X [Age, Life Profile & Net Worth]
Bonginkosi Mahlangu (born October 13, 1988) popularly known as Kid X, is a South African rapper and songwriter. Kid X is a South African Music Award-winning rapper who had three consecutive number ones on YFM’s Hot 9 Hip-Hop chart. He was also joined by AB Crazy and Smashis in the group Cashtime Fam before they disbanded in 2014.
Kid X unorthodox rise came after having been recommended to Teargas’ K.O. by Smashis during the formation of Cashtime Fam.
Kid X was featured on the 2012 hit single “BoomShakaLaka” with Kwesta.
He was born Bonginkosi Mahlangu to parents Florence Baphelile and Sam Mahlangu in Middleburg, South Africa.
Kid X’s net worth is estimated US $200, 000 (net worth estimated in 2017).
- An Uzomedia Biography
Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2khszv5