Transfer: Iheanacho close to joining Leicester for £25 million

There are indications that Manchester City and Super Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho is close to joining former English Premier League champions Leicester City in a deal worth about to worth £25 million.

According to reports on  the 20-year-old is in advanced talks with the Foxes and is thought to be well interested in making the switch.

Since making his debut for the Blue side of Manchester in 2015, Iheanacho has scored 21 goals in 64 games in all competitions.

His current deal which he signed last August ends in 2021, but saw his playing time limited by the arrival in January of Brazil forward Gabriel Jesus.

Should Kelechi Iheancho join Leicester City, he would become the third Nigerian currently playing for the club joining Ahmed Musa and midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.

UCL Round of 16 wrap: Could it be that the the boys separated from the men yet?

When a tournament gets to a certain stage, it is often said that the boys have been separated from the men. Could this be the case already in the Champions League as the last eight have been decided?

Some will say the usual suspects have made it through, other also say that deserving teams have qualified based on their performance. Whatever the case may be, the world has potentials, men with guts and hunger to progress, and above all some exciting football.

Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona made it through after defeating Roma and Arsenal respectively. Also from Spain Atletico Madrid fought a battle of their lives in a thrilling encounter with PSV decided on penalty shootout.

Paris Saint German edged Chelsea, Manchester City booked a place in the last eight for the first time in the campaign after seeing off Dynamo Kiev while Benfica also beat Zenit.

German champions Bayern Munich produced a stunning come back against Juventus to progress as fellow Germans Wolfsburg also saw off Gent to qualify.

Eight clubs from five countries will feature in the draw for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals which will be held on Friday, 18th March, 2016, What are your expectations? Ready to see the real men make it though?

The English Premier League Preview (Part One)

By Ewomazino Orowor

The 24th season of the Premier League gets underway tomorrow- 76 days after the conclusion of the previous campaign.

From the new official Premier League ball, to heavy transfer activities in some clubs (with astonishing vignetted transfer-related activities in some others), to new kit sponsorship deals, to if "Harry Kane" can match last season's goal scoring form; to which teams will constitute the relegation dog fight; who the Europa League contenders- or would-be avoiders -are and much more, the 2015/2016 season has been replete with talking points long before Man United and Tottenham kick-off.

However, let's  focus on the title-winning chances of the four main contenders for the money-spinning 2015/2016 season in England's topflight division.

Four of the Best
Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Manchester United, who occupied the top four places, respectively, in the table at the end of last season, are the front-runners this term. I expect an almost-there threat from Southampton, Liverpool and Tottenham.

Let's preview the two blue-jersey teams first, leaving the red ones for part two.

Chelsea

The Blues- with ruthless efficiency where necessary -were dominant last season. For all but the second week, Mourinho's men blossomed at the summit of the EPL table. Such was their near-impeccable campaign that many still consider them as the safest bet for the title. But are they really the safest bet?

"Hello! Is Chelsea there?" If the transfer window were to be anthropomorphised, that's probably what we'd be hearing. That's because Chelsea's had a quiet transfer window. Although, they boast a strong first XI, they are light on the bench- they're losing depth. 

In the event of an injury crisis or loss of form (not forgetting their apparent fitness challenges), they haven't got capable replacements for the mitochondria of their squad. Players like brickwall Nemanja Matic, most fouled Premier League player last season and player with the most assist last term- Eden Hazard and Cesc Febregas respectively -do not have their quasi equivalents on the bench.

Upfront, Chelsea have another conundrum! If Diego Costa continues to struggle with his hamstring, how will they get goals? Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao have not proven to be  adequate understudies. While the former may have specious reasons to be a prospect, the latter is- or has become -a risible figure. Falcao has continued where he left off at Old Trafford, thrilling us with his comedic perormances- the Pastor Maldonado of the Premier League. 

The Columbian is also further justifying the superstition behind the Chelsea No. 9 jersey. In the more recent memories, except for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Hernan Crespo, the likes of Mateja Kezman, Khalid Boulharouz, Steve Sidwell, Franco Di Santo, and Fernando Torres never excelled as Chelsea number 9s. Falcao is a real worry and may be on his way into that uncelebrated list. 

However, there is still some time for Mourinho to do some business in the market for some execllent outfield additions. 

But the real business begins tomorrow with a tricky opponent- Swansea City -at that. Chelsea's result tomorrow- and in the remaining opening round of fixtures -will really matter. Replicating their pre-season form may put the champions under pressure- if they are not under pressure already to dispel the opinions of their pre-season critics.

By and Large, Chelsea have a lot on their hands this term and the food for thought will be that the Premier League title has not been retained by holders  for six years now.

Will the Blues break boundaries or will Champions League priority be an excuse?

Manchester City
Manuel Pellegrini will be eager to expiate last season's mediocre display especially after extending his contract at the Etihad till 2017. Although, they finished as runners-up,  Man City's dispirited second half campaign took them out of contention in the race for the title (a period in which we also witnessed their embarrasing exit from the Champions League). 

Poignant reminders indeed of their disappointing trophyless season. 

This was inevitably due to the half-heartedness of majority of their senior players- except for Joe Hart, Sergio Aguero and a few others. 

This may sound like cheap criticism but a large chunk of Man City's squad apparently lacked the hunger to match the achievements of the preceding title-winning campaign. That has to change this term because a repeat should lead to drastic changes at the Etihad. Pellegrini has to justify the trust he's received to avoid being the most likely starting point of any such drastic changes.

If the squad has the right drive, motivation and consistency, Man City may pose more threat to Chelsea's title defence than any of Arsenal or Man. United. With the arrivals of Raheem Sterling and (especially) Fabian Delph, Man City have further added depth to their squad. 

What's more, here's a stunning Man City EPL sequence:
2011/12 - Champions
2012/13 - Runners-up
2013/14 - Champions
2014/15 - Runners-up
2015/16 - ____?____
Fill in the gap! It's simple arithmetic progression!

Writer: Ewomazino Orowor

Chelsea are champions of England! City, Arsenal, United left in chase for UCL

Jose Mourinho's men have won the premier league title after defeating Crystal Palace by a lone goal courtesy Eden Hazard follow-up on his saved penalty.

Manchester City also pipped Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 to further strengthen their place on the log for a champions league spot.

Sergio Aguero cemented his position as the premier league top scorer as he grabbed the headlines at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Arsenal will be away at Hull City on Monday night as Arsene Wenger's men battle for a comfortable spot.

Yaya Toure is staying put at Manchester City - Pellegrini

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has defended his midfielder midfielder Yaya Toure and says the Ivorian international would not be leaving the club.

The 31-year-old has not replicated his last season's form when he scored 24 goals in all competitions, 20 of which came in the Premier League but has scored 8 goals this season so far.

''I repeat we are not talking about that,'' the Chilean snapped.

 ''Yaya is a very important player for our team. Maybe all of you are waiting for me to criticize him or sacrifice him.

''Yaya will continue playing here because he is a very important player for me and the squad and the fans for everyone.''

The Etihad will be lighted up when City host West Ham midday on sunday.


Source: Skysports

Inter Milan chief confirms Yaya Toure interest

Reports of interest in Yaya Toure have been confirmed by Inter Milan general director Marco Fassone.

Google Image: Yaya Toure

The 31-year old midfielder is under contract at Etihad Stadium until 2017 but reports in Italy have suggested Inter are preparing 60m Euros to have the Ivorian.

Fassone said: "Who doesn't dream of having a player like him? Toure would give our midfield line something that we are lacking. (According to Sky Sports)

"But his wages and City's asking price might be a big obstacle."

Inter manager Roberto Mancini managed Toure at City between 2010 and 2013 and is thought to be keen on bolstering his squad, with stars such as striker Mauro Icardi, midfielder Mateo Kovacic and goalkeeper Samir Handanovic all the subject of transfer speculation.

"We are almost there with respect to Icardi's contract extension," Fassone said. "We want to keep him just as we want to keep Kovacic. We will evaluate with great care (their) eventual offers.

"It's clear that if we want to sign three players (this summer) we will need to evaluate those that will depart.

"Handanovic's renewal is an issue that we must resolve at once. We need to understand what he wants. We cannot go into next season knowing that our goalkeeper's contract expires."

English Premier League Roundup: United, Arsenal win convincingly, Chelsea held and City beaten at the weekend

Red devils Manchester United made Old Trafford uncomfortable for Tottenham Hotspurs as they roast the visitors 3-0 in Premier league match on Sunday.

League leaders Chelseas failed to take full advantage of the slip from Manchester City as they drew 1-1 against Southampton who came from behind to secure a draw at Stamford bridge.

Diego Costa ended his eight-game scoring drought, by rising to head in Branislav Ivanovic’s measured cross.

The Saints had better plans as they drew level before the break, after Saido Mane was fouled inside the box by Nemanja Matic. Tadic stepped up and drove his spot kick down the middle.

Everton were too good for Newcastle as they continued thier impressive form from Europe beating the visitor 3-0 at Gudison Park.

In Saturday's encounter, Arsenal thumped West Ham 3-0, Manchester City failed to get a result from Burnley as they lost 0-1 away to open the game between them and the table toppers Chelsea to five points. 

Leicester City played 0-0 draw, Sunderland lost 0-4 to visiting Aston Villa, West Brom edge Stoke City 1-0while Crystal Palace were too good for Queens Park Rangers as it ended 3-1.

Yaya Toure Leads Ivory Coast to Nations Cup Final

African Footballer of the Year, Yaya Toure was among the scorers as the Elephants of Cote d'voire defeated DR Congo to land in the final of the on-going Africa Cup of nations.

Captain Yaya Toure put the Elephants in front, with a long-range strike, but Dieumerci Mbokani leveled from the spot after Eric Bailly was adjudged to have handled in the area.

Gervinho restored the lead while Wilfried Konan grabbed the third goal to seal the victory.

The Ivorian now have a chance of lifting the Africa cup of nations since 1992 but will have to battle the winner of the second semi final game to be played on Thursday evening between Ghana and host Equatorial Guinea.

Swansea confirm Wilfried Bony Move to Manchester City

Ivorian Striker has finally completed the much awaited move to Manchester City for an undisclosed fee.

Twitter: @SwansOfficial

The Swans made the announcement few hours afte slamming the Ivorian FA for making it public ahead of them.

''Swansea City have completed the club-record transfer of striker Wilfried Bony to Manchester City.''- The statement reads 

''Following discussions with the defending Barclays Premier League champions, the Swans this afternoon completed an undisclosed deal for the Ivorian. 

Read full details here 

Stop the rumour! Bony has not signed for Manchester City - Swansea slam Ivory Coast FA

Swansea Football club has debunked rumours that their striker Wilfred Bonny has completed a move to Manchester City.

The player who is currently on international duty with Ivory Coast preparing for Africa Cup of Nations is expected to sign mega deal soon but his present club is not happy with the announcement by the Ivorian FA that he has joined City.

''Wilfried Bony has NOT yet completed his move to @MCFC. Once completed, we will confirm via official channels - not the Ivory Coast FA! #busy'' - Swansea official Twitter profile shared.

Manchester City clash will be tough for Barca - Enrique

FC Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has reacted to the UEFA Champions League last-16 draw, which saw Barca against draw Manchester City for the second year in succession.

He said in a press conference on Monday that his side is ready to do battle with hopes of defeating the English club.

 

"They [City] are a hard and tough opponent," he said.

 

"From now until February a lot can happen. But it will be a balanced game.

 

"The key when you face this kind of match is that we are well. If we have a good tone it is easier to face any competition.

 

"I always think positively, and I think only of overcoming that tie against Manchester City."

Aguero is as important to City just as Messi and Ronaldo are to their Clubs - Pellegrini

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has stated that Sergio Aguero will be missed just like every big player in various clubs, but the team will survive without the Argentina.
 

Aguero is set to be out for about one month after he picked up a ligament injury during Saturday's Premier League 1-0 victory over Everton.
 

''Every big team must have important players like Sergio,'' Pellegrini said.
 

''I suppose Cristiano Ronaldo is very important for Real Madrid, Lionel Messi is very important for Barcelona, but neither of those teams are all about just one player.
 

''I don’t know if that is the correct perception about us. It’s one thing that a player can be in a very good moment, as Sergio was until this injury, but I don’t think he has carried us.''

It was Xabi Alonso's Birthday but Aguero got all the Gifts to help Manchester City

Manchester City secured an important three points at the Etihad Stadium against Bayern Munich to rekindle their hopes of seeing the last 16 of the UCL this term.

Google Image: Sergio Aguero

The Etihad stadium came alive after Sergio Aguero was brought down in the box by Benatia who got sent off and reduced to see the visitors reduced to 10-men. The Argentine striker put City ahead scoring from the penalty spot to begin his eventual hatrick.

Before long, Birthday Boy Xabi Alonso and Robert Lewandowski scored to see 10-man Bayern go into the break with a 2-1 lead.

The real drama began when the birthday-boy's pass saw his pass intercepted by Aguero who made no mistake to set the match at per at 85th minute but also benefited from another mistake by Jerome Boateng to secure City's much needed victory.

Xabi Alonso scores from the spot, share by
@ChampionsLeague on Twitter

Manuel Pellegrini's men will now go into their final game away to Roma level on points with the Italian side and CSKA Moscow, meaning they will qualify if they win and the Russian champions fail to win at Bayern, who were already guaranteed to qualify as Group E winners.

Bayern Munich, Real Madrid Stars dominate UEFA Team of The Year nominees

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are well represented in the shortlist of players for the UEFA Team of The Year 2014 Award.

Google Image

The Spanish club boast of 7 players while the Germans have a larger number of 9 players.

According to UEFA,  more than 6.3 million votes were cast in the UEFA.com users' Team of the Year 2013 poll, the final XI featured four players from FC Bayern München and a record eighth appearance for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Here's a full list of nominees and you can view and cast your vote here 

Goalkeepers        

Gianlugi Buffon      Juventus

Beto                        Sevilla

Thibuat Courtois    Chelsea

Manuel Neuer        Bayern Munich

Defenders

Sergio Ramos        Real Madrid

Diego Godin          Athletico Madrid

Miranda                  Athletico Madrid

Vincent Kompany  Manchester City

Jerome Boateng      Bayern Munich

Medhin Benatia      Bayern Munich

David Alaba            Bayern Munich

Ezequeil Garay        FC Zenith

Mats Hummels         Borussia Dortmund

Philip Lahm             Bayern Munich

Pablo Zabaleta         Manchester City

Dani Carvajal          Real Madrid

Midfielder

Toni Kroos            Real Madrid

Luka Modric         Real Madrid

Angel Di Maria     Manchester United

Ivan Rakitic           Barcelona

Arjen Robben        Bayern Munich

James Rodriquez   Real Madrid                   

Koke                    Athletico Madrid

Xabi Alonso        Bayern Munich

Marco Reus         Borussia Dortmund

Paul Pogba          Juventus

Ardar Turan        Athletico Madrid

Yaya Toure         Manchester City

Forward

Gareth Bale      Real Madrid

Diego Costa      Chelsea

Tomas Muller   Bayern Munich

Cristiano Ronaldo   Real Madrid

Zlatan Ibrahimovic    Paris Sanit German

Robert Lewandowski   Bayern Munich

Alexis Sanchez           Arsenal

Karim Benzema         Real Madrid

Lionel Messi             Barcelona

Jonatan Soriano        FC Salzburg

Carlos Tevez           Juventus

Neymar                 Barcelona

Cote d'voire celebrate Yaya Toure's 100th cap for the Elephants

Instagram/salomonkalou

Salomon Kalou and striker Tallo Gadji delighfully posed with Manchester City midfielder on celebrating his 100th appearance for the Ivory coast national team.

The Ivorian played out a scoreless draw against Indomitable Lions of Cameroun and that was enough to see them through to the Africa Cup of nations in Equatorial Guinea come January.

Salomon Kalou shared on his Instagram ''Congrats Mr 100 cap #Yayatoure u deserve it all. #Can2015 @jt_11crml

Football fans and how they react about their respective clubs

Someone posted this on his face book account and I began to wonder how true this is, but honestly there seem to be an iota of truth in his revelation on how football fans react about their clubs and i feel i should share this.

He tags it ''FOOTBALL FANS AND THEIR ATTITUDES''

Barcelona Fans - Even though they are one of the greatest, they make no noise, this shows how mature they are.

Real Madrid Fans - They act like kings but talk less

 - They are so patient even when in trouble, they talk a little but not much

Man City fans - I don't even know if they exist 

Liverpool Fans - Claiming to be kings when they are not, though they act wisely

Chelsea Fans - Oh my goodness, they're d worst, they always talk ''rubbish'' and too arrogant, they claim to b the best and yet they have less trophies than all d mentioned teams, they hate history

because their club have none... Amos can't share the rest of the comment

Manchester United Fans - best sets of fans, though they talk, they're friendly, they are the most

successful club in England and they never give up!!!!....

The fan confirms he's a Gunner, so where do you belong and what do you think your normal reaction is when your club is being discussed ???...

Amos says ''So this guy is an Arsenal fan, hmmm, okay lets see how positive this argument will end for him. Hahahaa.... I also feel this is related to Nigerian football fans or what do you think? 

Ahmed Musa eyes knock-out stage after CSKA shocked Man City at the Etihad Stadium

CSKA Moscow forward Ahmed Musa believes his side have a chance to qualify for the next round of the UEFA Champions League after beating Manchester City 2-1 in England on Wednesday night.

Wikipedia Image

The Nigerian international who was a handful for City on the night said the victory is a boost for his Russian club which means they could be heading for the knock out stage of the competition, africanfootball.com reports.

The Russian champions host second-placed Roma, who also have four points from as many matches, on November 25 in continuation of the competition.

''We have a very big chance of qualifying after winning on Wednesday. We have to just go back home and work very hard to see if we can win the next home game. With the victory today we have very big confidence,'' africanFootball.com quoted the winger as saying after the match.

''I am not surprised because we saw in Moscow that we could win this game. That is why you saw that we played a very good game.''

Capital One Cup Shocker: Newcastle United send City Packing

A resurgent Newcastle United defeated star-studded Manchester City 0-2 at the Etihad Stadium dumping the title holders out of the Capital One Cup. 

From the blast of the whistle, it seemed as though Newcastle were in big trouble but the boys gave ity a run for their money as Roland Aarons scored early enough to send his side ahead on the big day.

Alan Pardew boys showed strength having to deal with several threats from the Manuel Pellegrini men who dominated but could failed to break.

The second half however saw the introduction of Sammy Ameobi who mesmerized the city side and it was another substitute, Moussa Sissoko who sealed the victory to confirm a date in the quarter final with Tottenham Hotspur who defeated Brighton.

Arsenal struggle, Chelsea remain on atop EPL

Arsenal managed to secure a 2-2 draw after Danny Welbeck grabbed an equalizer for the Arsene Wenger tutored side against Hull city at the Emirates.

Chelsea pulled a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in a game that saw both sides end with 10-men but the Blues remain on top of the Premier League with 22 points.

Oscar's superb free-kick put the Blues ahead before Cesc Fabregas doubled the lead in the second half, while Fraizer Campbell scored for Crystal Palace.

Sunderland were the weeping boys of the weekend after they conceded a total of 8 goals on away soil to Southampton, while Manchester City wallop Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 with Sergio Aguero scoring all four goals in the encounter.

Francesco Totti becomes UEFA Champions League Oldest Goalscorer (See List)

AS Roma Captain Francesco Totti clocked 38 just a few days back but he has shown that he's still got some freshness after became the oldest goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history with his strike at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City on Tuesday night.

The Italian canceled Sergio Aguero's lead after he found the net in the 23rd minutes to surpass the Ryan Giggs' record.

The former Manchester United FC midfielder was aged 37 years 290 days when he scored at SL Benfica on matchday one in 2011/12

UEFA Champions League oldest goalscorers

Francesco Totti – 38 years 3 days – Manchester City v AS Roma, 30/09/14

Ryan Giggs – 37 years 290 days – SL Benfica v Manchester United FC, 14/09/11

Filippo Inzaghi – 37 years 87 days – AS Milan v Real Madrid CF, 03/11/10

Javier Zanetti – 37 years 72 days – FC Internazionale Milano v Tottenham Hotspur FC, 20/10/10

Laurent Blanc – 36 years 339 days – Olympiacos FC v Manchester United FC, 23/10/02

Paolo Maldini – 36 years 334 days – Liverpool FC v AC Milan, 25/05/05