Nigeria Content Online

As Manchester
United prepare to play Aston Villa today, the players will be looking
at keeping their unbeaten record in the league going. With no loss in
24 matches, and 14 matches left in the league, the Red Devils must
seriously be contemplating emulating the ‘Invincibles’ of Arsenal, who
went unbeaten in the 2005/06 season.
Though United have
made things difficult for their fans in their last two matches by going
down before staging revivals, their opponents, Gerrard Houllier’s
Villains are staging a mini-revival of their own. They have won the
last three matches and are looking to have regained some confidence
with the buying of Darren Bent to lead the line. Last season, Villa
beat United with a goal from Gabriel Agbonlahor and the striker scored
his first goal of the season in last week’s 2-1 over Wigan.
Nemanja Vidic was
the hero at the first meeting in November when he equalised in the 85th
minute to earn his side a 2-2 draw. Now departed to Sampdoria, Federico
Macheda had reduced the deficit four minutes before Vidic headed the
leveller. Villa will need to pay attention to Dimitar Berbatov, who is
on a high with 19 goals already in his kitty. Wayne Rooney is also
pushing hard for a goal and the form of Mexican, Javier Hernandez, will
make Alex Ferguson think deeply before naming his team. The Mexican
scored the winner against Southampton on Saturday in the 2-1 come-back
win in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Ferguson has
promised to re-instate his first set of defenders as Rafael is not
suffering any further complications on account of the concussion he
suffered against Blackpool. Ferguson said on his club’s website that:
“Rafael should also be okay; he got the all-clear on Friday and Patrice
Evra had a family bereavement so we left him out at Southampton.
“Vidic should be
alright. Rio (Ferdinand) started running on Thursday and hopefully will
be okay by Tuesday. We should have our back four back against Villa.”
Injuries might hinder Sunderland
There will be tones
of revenge when the defending champions take on Sunderland today at the
Stadium of Light. In the first instalment, the Black Cats dismembered
the Blues 3-0, with goals from Nedum Onuoha, Asamoah Gyan, and Danny
Welbeck. But like injury had decimated Chelsea’s ranks before that
game, and had John Terry, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien were
missing.
Injury might also
play a role in determining the outcome of the match today but the shoe
is now on the other foot. Danny Welbeck, who tormented Chelsea at
Stamford Bridge, is out for two months and the club has had to sell
Darren Bent to Aston Villa, when the player put in a transfer request.
Steve Bruce has moved in the transfer window by buying Sulley Muntari
and Stephane Sessegnon from PSG of France to shore up the midfield and
attack respectively.
Sunderland also
have Fraizer Campbell, defender Michael Turner, and captain Lee
Cattermole out to various injuries. Chelsea centre-back, Alex,
continues his recovery from surgery and Roman Abramovich has showed
that he can still splash the cash with a bid for Liverpool’s Fernando
Torres and David Luiz, from Benfica. Sunderland are placed sixth on the
table and are just four points behind Chelsea, who are in fourth place.
Arsenal need to keep up the chase
Arsenal are on a
terrific run of form and have booked a Carling Cup final ticket against
Birmingham. Robin Van Persie is back and scoring goals so Arsene Wenger
is in a more buoyant mood as he welcomes an Everton side that has found
goals hard to come by. Their leading scorer, Tim Cahill, could make a
return after the finish of the Asian Cup. But Sunday’s injury to player
of the season, Samir Nasri, could unhinge all the good that has come
from a very good month of January.
The Gunners must
keep up the pressure on runaway leaders, Manchester United, who sit
comfortably five points from their closest rivals. Sebastien Squillaci
will be absent as he starts a suspension after his red card against
Huddersfield, and Thomas Vermeelen is not yet ready to make a return to
action. Sagna is also suffering from a concussion also and might not be
fit to start against the Toffees.
Arsenal has had to
work very hard in the first meeting at Goodison Park in November.
Right-back, Bacary Sagna scored a first goal for the Gunners in two
years and Cesc Fabregas scored the second three minutes after the
half-time interval. Everton reduced the deficit with a last-minute
consolation when Tim Cahill pounced.
Though the Toffees have found it hard to get goals, they have lost
fewer games than every other team outside the top six teams. Placed
14th on the league table, they need all the points to climb into
European competition places. Sunderland, who sit sixth, are 10 points
better off even though they have played a game more.

A Federal High
Court in Lagos has ordered that the fresh bid process, for league
sponsorship rights, being planned by the Nigeria Premier League (NPL)
be put on hold; pending the determination of the suit brought before it
by Total Promotions Limited. Total Promotions Limited represented MTN
in the bidding process for the NPL title rights.

The presiding
Justice, Binta Muritala Nyako, ordered all parties to maintain the
status quo as she adjourned hearing on the suit till Wednesday,
February 9.

At the court on
Monday, two different counsels claimed that they were in court to
represent the NPL with no clear decision on whom the lead counsel was.
The judge thus advised the defendants to sort out the issue of legal
representation before the next hearing on February 9.

One of the
counsels, Emmanuel Oboh said he was the right counsel to the NPL and
that he had the consent of the NPL board to represent it. Mr Oboh also
said he has been representing the NPL past four years.

“The Nigeria
Football Federation only wanted to slow down the process by bringing in
another lawyer under the guise that the NPL was their product, there is
nothing to discuss I am the NPL’s counsel,” he argued.

The congress decision

The congress of the
NPL had on Wednesday, January 26 ruled that the previous bidding
exercise which saw Total Promotions win the rights for MTN was not
transparent enough hence it was invalidated and stated that a fresh bid
be conducted within two weeks.

However, Niyi
Alonge Total Promotions boss had maintained that the congress was wrong
in its decision as the agreement it signed with the NPL did not allow
for a unilateral cancellation of the contract.

Though Alonge is
contesting the decision to withdraw the sponsorship right, he has been
invited by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) alongside
some former and current NPL officials to clarify issues concerning the
league broadcast rights deal Total Promotions had earlier secured.

It has been alleged
that the television rights for the NPL were sold for a total of three
billion naira (over $20 million) between 2006 and 2010 to a South
African company, but only about 436 million naira or about $3 million
was received by the league in all these years.

Aside Alonge, others invited by the EFCC are former league boss, Oyuiki Obaseki; the current NPL chairman,

Davidson Owumi; former executive secretary, Al-Hassan Yakmut; NPL vice-chairman Shehu Gusau and Joe Amene.

They are to report at the Abuja office of the anti graft body on February 10, Femi Babafemi the EFCC spokesperson said.

Chelsea’s league title hopes appear remote
and with a top-four place not set in stone, the club are expected to up
their offer for Liverpool’s Spanish striker, although they are likely
to have to smash the British transfer record to get their man.

Torres
submitted a transfer request Friday, which was rejected by Liverpool
who have slapped a 50 million pounds price tag on the 26-year-old,
although a cash plus player offer remains a possibility.

Uruguay’s
Luis Suarez is expected to complete his move from Ajax Monday after
undergoing a medical, but Liverpool fans appear likely to be denied the
prospect of watching him form a potent strike partnership with Torres.

Should
Torres leave for west London, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish will be
desperate to bring in another striker, especially with Suarez cup-tied
for the Europa League.

Newcastle
United’s muscular frontman Andy Carroll is a possibility while the club
will likely test Blackpool’s resolve to keep the highly-rated playmaker
Charlie Adam.

For all their money,
Manchester City are not expected to be busy Monday, having already
spent heavily on Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko, while Arsenal manager
Arsene Wenger is no fan of mid-season buys, unless he opts to bolster
his central defensive numbers.

Manchester
United manager Alex Ferguson has virtually ruled out any activity
Monday but Tottenham Hotspur, just outside the Champions League places
in fifth, are being linked with various targets including Atletico
Madrid’s Sergio Aguero.

More
realistic targets are West Ham United’s midfielder Scott Parker and
striker Carroll — both of whom have attracted interest from the north
London club and would be eligible for Champions League action against
AC Milan next month.

With around
100 million pounds already spent in January, the winter window has
already eclipsed that of last season in the Premier League, and could
threaten the 181 million pounds record set in 2009, especially if
Liverpool do business on Torres.</

Fourteen
weeks into the season, the Nigeria Premier League (NPL), remains
enmeshed in crisis, and today at a Federal High Court in Lagos, hearing
will resume on the suit filed by Total Promotions Limited, the firm
which represented MTN in the bidding for the NPL title rights.

Total Promotions is
seeking to challenge the cancellation of the contract it entered with
the NPL after emerging tops in an initial bid exercise conducted on
December 15 -16, 2010 in Abuja.

The congress of the
NPL that met in Abuja last Wednesday, January 26 had ruled that the
process of the bidding exercise was faulty hence they called for a
fresh exercise that will come up within two weeks.

However, for Niyi
Alonge, Total Promotions’ boss, the NPL congress was wrong in its
decision claiming that they have no right to unilaterally terminate a
duly signed commercial contract.

“Total Promotions Limited affirms it has a duly executed subsisting contract between the two parties for the next four years.

The contract fully
states the process by which it can be vitiated by both parties. No part
of this subsisting legal agreement gives one party the right to act
unilaterally.

“We are duty bound to await and abide by the courts decision on the subsisting suit,” said Alonge in a press statement.

More crises

While the court
cases are still hanging, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC), has also summoned six NPL officials to answer questions on an
alleged sponsorship scam totalling over 3 billion naira (about $20
million).

The officials for
questioning include: former NPL boss, Oyuiki Obaseki and the current
chairman, Davidson Owumi. Others invited by the anti graft body are:
Al-Hassan Yakmut, the NPL’s former executive secretary; Shehu Gusau,
the NPL’s vice-chairman, as well as Joe Amene and Total Promotions’
Alonge.

“They have been
told to report to the EFCC office in Abuja on February 10. They are to
answer to allegations of mismanagement of revenue accruing from the
sale of television rights on behalf of the NPL,” said EFCC spokesman,
Femi Babafemi.

It has been alleged
that the television rights for the NPL were sold for a total of three
billion naira (over $20 million) between 2006 and 2010 to a South
African company, but only about 436 million naira or about $3 million
was received by the league in all these years.

Former league
sponsors, Globacom had earlier fingered the high level of corruption in
the NPL as the reason for defaulting in the payment of monies owed the
league body. However, Justice Olasuyi Olateru-Olagbegi of the Federal
High Court, Lagos, did not reckon with Globacom’s claims as she ordered
the telecommunication company to pay up the contract fee of the
2009/2010 season owed NPL valued at slightly over Nine hundred million
naira.

Pull quote: No part of this subsisting legal agreement gives one party the right to act unilaterally

Liverpool
have agreed to sign Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez from Ajax Amsterdam
for 26.5 million euros ($36.32 million), the clubs have said .

The news came hours after Liverpool rejected an offer from Premier League rivals Chelsea for Spain forward Fernando Torres.

“The club have now
been given permission by Ajax to discuss personal terms with the player
and his representatives,” Liverpool said in a statement on their
website (www.liverpoolfc.tv).

If terms are
agreed, the 24-year-old Suarez would be a welcome addition to a
Liverpool team who have been enduring a poor season that has just begun
to show signs of improvement after Kenny Dalglish was appointed manager
earlier this month.

Torres has been
somewhat out of sorts this term and the addition of Suarez, who has
scored 111 goals in 159 matches for Ajax since joining in 2007, could
sharpen their attack.

“I can understand
Luis wanting to go to Liverpool, it’s a beautiful club, but then it has
to be satisfying for both parties,” Ajax manager Frank De Boer said
before his club released a statement along the same lines as
Liverpool’s.

“The departure of
Luis will be a big loss but on the other hand we have the quality to
win matches without him.” Suarez has just finished serving a
seven-match ban for biting PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal on the shoulder
in a league match in November.

World Cup Further
controversy came at last year’s World Cup when Uruguay went through to
the semi-finals after his deliberate handball in the final minute of
extra time against Ghana prevented a decisive goal from Dominic Adiyiah.

Suarez, who blocked Adiyiah’s attempt with two hands on the line, was sent off but his team won a penalty shootout.

The striker, who has scored seven league goals this season, would
join Liverpool with the 18-times English champions sitting seventh in
the Premier League table.

Two
premier league sides with differing tales to tell meet today in the
fourth round of the FA Cup. Fulham lost to Liverpool on Wednesday but
gave a very good account of themselves and should have at least
finished on level terms if not for some wayward shooting by Belgian
forward, Dembele. Today they will have to step up with the visit of
Tottenham. The London side have been playing some eye-catching stuff
and are fifth on the league table. Dickson Etuhu should return to the
Fulham team after a bout of injury but his replacement, Steve Sidwell,
gave a good account on his debut for the Cottagers. Tottenham are in
danger of losing Gareth Bale to a back injury but have the good luck of
having bought Steven Pienaar from Everton.

Harry Redknapp told
Reuters, “He’s been to see a specialist and it shouldn’t be too long, a
bit of work on it and he should be okay.

“He’s never, ever
needed an operation. That’s the last resort when you have a back
problem. He has a little back injury that went into a spasm, but he
should be back in 10 days.” Roman Pavlyuchenko and Benoit Assou-Ekotto
should return to the team after the both missed the trip to Newcastle.

Fulham have already
lost twice to Spurs this season but Fulham captain, Danny Murphy
believes the defeat was based on small margins. Murphy spoke on his
club site that, “I thought we were desperately unlucky in both the
games we played against them so far this season. We’ve also got nearly
a fully fit squad to choose from, other than one or two missing and
hopefully we’ll be able to give them a good game. We owe them one for
knocking us out last year.”

Adebayor to make his debut

The charge
continues for Jose Mourinho and his boys at the Estadio Reyno de
Navarra, where they have to face Osasuna today. Real Madrid managed a
slim 1-0 win over Mallorca last weekend courtesy of Karim Benzema’s
third goal for the club in 20 appearances and with the loan signing of
Emmanuel Adebayor completed on Thursday, Mourinho now has more options
in attack. He can decide to play the conventional 4-4-2 or continue
with the much vaunted 4-3-3 all-out attacking frame. Mourinho’s team
continued to show character with the 1-0 win over Sevilla in the Copa
del Rey first leg semi-final match. Adebayor is keen to get straight
into action. “I have no idea where Pamplona – the home city of Osasuna,
but they have told me it will be difficult to win there. I hope to
play,” Adebayor told Spanish radio station, Cadena Ser on Thursday.

“My first
conversation with Jose Mourinho was positive but we haven’t gone into
details yet (about his role),” the Togolese international concluded.

Meanwhile Osasuna
are just a point above the relegation places, so a loss could push them
furtively closer to the ignominy of the second division. The first leg
ended 1-0 in favour of the Los Blancos courtesy of a 48th minute goal
by Ricardo Carvalho. That match witnesses fans jeering the ‘Special
One’ but Mourinho said it was expected as his team did not perform
well. “The public can jeer if they want and I can respect it,” said
Mourinho.

“I work for the
total satisfaction of the public and they pay me to work and not to
criticise the fans. I will never say anything against the fans of Real
Madrid. Is it only at the Bernabeu where they demand more? I don’t know
any supporters of any big clubs that settle for less. “It is nothing
new for me.” Today the battle will be won by the team that shows the
most desire.

Inter Milan need all three points

After the first
loss had been digested by Inter’s new manager, Leonardo, it will be a
return to the safe surroundings of the San Siro to host Palermo, who
are two places below but separated by a point. Inter MilanMilan’s
defence of their Scudetto had decidedly gone off the tracks before the
Club World Cup triumph in Abu Dhabi. Samuel Eto’o made all the
difference in the first leg, when he scored two goals to cancel out
Josip Ilicic’s opener after 28 minutes. But Eto’o equalised in the 63rd
minute before getting the winner, seven minutes later at the Stadio
Renzo Barbera. Palermo chairman Maurizio Zamparini has blamed the
referee for that defeat and his players will be keen to pay Inter
Milanback. Zamparini said after the September 19 defeat that, “Maybe
the referee got heatstroke today, as if those incidents had occurred in
the Palermo area, he would’ve awarded four penalties against us. He
lost us the game.

“There were four
penalty incidents. Two were absolutely clear; two could’ve been given
or not given depending on the interpretation. It’s a bit much,
especially considering the penalty awarded against us in Brescia last
week was non-existent.” Juve are floundering Udinese humbled Inter
Milanlast weekend and get another chance to continue their
giant-killing act as they face Juventus today at the Stadio OLympico.
Juventus were roundly beaten 2-0 by Roma on Wednesday in the Coppa
Italia and Coach Luigi Del Neri will start looking over his shoulder as
his team is dragged towards mid-table existence. Juventus have been
performing below par in recent weeks and Del Neri knows that the
fortunes of his team must rebound or he could be out of a job very soon.

Battle of the Nigerians

Monaco are looking
down the barrel and their case could be worsened by the visit of
defending champions, Olympique Marseille to the Velodrome. Monaco’s
young Nigerian midfielder, Lukman Haruna has also not been having the
best of seasons. Marseille also have another Nigerian in Taye Taiwo,
bombarding down the left flank, so it could just become the tale of two
Nigerians. While Monaco need all the points they can get to stave off
relegation, Marseille need the points to keep pace with pace-setters,
Lille Metropole, who are six points better with 38 points.

Though
they have been awful away from home getting only one point outside the
Nnamdi Azikwe stadium, Enugu Rangers will be seeking to maintain their
perfect home run when they face Warri Wolves today in the star fixture
of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) for the weekend.

Currently fifth on
the log, the Flying Antelopes will be hoping to replicate the form that
has seen the side score an impressive 17 goals in six home matches.

However, that will
be a tough task against a side like Warri Wolves that are currently
third on the league table and have not done too badly on the road,
winning once and drawing two games. The Enugu-based team must be at
their best to maintain the enviable record it shares with Sunshine
Stars and Dolphins FC; the other two teams yet to drop points at home.

A victory for the Alphonsus Dike-led side will see it upstaging their opponents from the third spot.

Other matches In
other games, Shooting Stars will be home to city rivals, Crown FC and
this is one of the four derbies in the Premier League this season.

Crown are living on
the edge after sacking their coach, Ganiyu Salami, at the weekend and
losing two key players in Harrison Egbune and Asuquo Phillip to
title-chasing Sunshine Stars. 3SC look good to pick maximum points in
this game as they will not want a repeat of their last home game in
which they were held 1-1 by visiting Kaduna United.

More games

At the Gateway
International Stadium in Ilaro, Sunshine will be up against Lobi Stars
and one thing that will be paramount in the mind of Coach Gbenga
Odubote of Sunshine will be to close the gap on the current league
leaders Dolphins FC, who lead them by four points, but will be playing
away to Ocean Boys in Yenogoa.

A win for Sunshine Stars will leave them with just one point off the top spot they occupied as at the end of last year.

In the lower ranks of the league, 16th placed Zamfara United will be home to Juth FC who are second from the bottom.

In four meetings
between the two sides in the topflight over two years, The Healers have
won just once against Zamfara United. Surprisingly, JUTH have picked
three draws on the road from four games but have capitulated at home by
losing two games. Zamfara lost just once at home to Kaduna United but
looks good to claim the maximum points in this tie.

The last fixture of the day is a game between two former champions,
Ocean Boys and Dolphins FC, who are currently on top of the league and
are sure to remain there at least for this week despite today’s result.
The Port Harcourt side currently has a four point gap on the top a feat
no team can achieve for this weekend.

Current
Nigerian League champions, Enyimba FC will today begin their quest for
honours in the 2010/11 Orange CAF Champions League competition when
they confront Congolese side, Saint Michel du Ouenze in one of the
day’s crunch fixtures.

The Aba Elephants
who are having a torrid season on the local front would have to forget
their domestic worries going into today’s game. Currently placed 13th
in the Nigeria Premier league with 16 points from 12 games, the
two-time African champions will have to step up their game if they hope
to go far in this year’s Champions League or perhaps complete a hat
trick of trophies in the continent’s biggest club competition.

Tough task

The Chairman of the
club, Felix Anyansi Agwu, said he does not expect an easy ride over
their host who are the current champions in Congo.

“We know they are
the defending champions of their domestic competition so that means
they are a solid side,” Anyansi Agwu told SuperSport.com.

“Whenever teams
play against us domestically or on the continent, they tend to raise
their game because of the name, Enyimba. We have achieved so much and
teams go the extra mile when they play against us.”

Already Enyimba’s
first choice player in right back position, Samuel Tswanya has been
ruled out of today’s game as he failed to recover from a knock he
picked in the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) game against Warri Wolves a
fortnight ago.

Nonetheless, the
team’s coach, Okey Emordi, is confident that his lads are capable of
getting the desired result in today’s match.

“It’s been a
difficult season no doubt, but I have the belief that if we can get
something together as soon as possible, we will do our best to avoid
defeat,” he said.

Reunion

Coincidentally, one of the Star players for the Congolese team, Sam Ledor is a former Enyimba player.

Ledor has already
promised his former teammates a tough time in today’s tie as he reckons
with the princely treatment being given to him by Saint Michel.

“My team has done
so well for me, and I am grateful to them. I owe them a duty to put in
my best regardless of who is involved,” he said.

Ledor further
hinted that some people in Congo have asked him to take up Congolese
citizenship so that he could play for the national team.

Ledor won several League titles and a Federation Cup title with Enyimba.

A total of 44 clubs
will be involved in action in the preliminary round whilst holders TP
Mazembe and eight other clubs namely; Entiente Setif(Algeria), Al Ahly
(Egypt), Ittihad (Libya), Stade Malien (Mali), Hilal (Sudan), Merrikh
(Sudan), Esperance (Tunisia) and Dynamos (Zimbabwe) are exempted from
this stage of the competition.

The second leg matches is scheduled for February 11-13 with winners advancing to the 1/16th round.