Football Glee

Samson Siasia releases list of 21 players for Under 23 Nations Cup

Samson Siasia releases list of 21 players for Under 23 Nations Cup

Arsenal Forward set to leave before loan window closes

Unknown 0 arsenal, England, Europe, iwobi, nigeria 3:45 PM

<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 26.6px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvoFnMbwjQ2gDwzm8U1IrGHKgycuQCnMdNaeDTqGWVH0QrmqYjUq6UjnFTp0KaeJxcuPHsyn12KvDIhkCVAmLF9Ph12xnxhWhqTEWWGUKSVDiL0WONyBCzxGua8Mzv8V9QhJAfw7DUbFST/s1600/Iwobi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: BebasNeue, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvoFnMbwjQ2gDwzm8U1IrGHKgycuQCnMdNaeDTqGWVH0QrmqYjUq6UjnFTp0KaeJxcuPHsyn12KvDIhkCVAmLF9Ph12xnxhWhqTEWWGUKSVDiL0WONyBCzxGua8Mzv8V9QhJAfw7DUbFST/s320/Iwobi.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Arsenal starlet Alex Iwobi is on the verge of leaving the club ahead of the closing on the emergency loan window, </span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/477279/Arsenal-forward-transfer-tussle-loan-window-deadline" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Daily Star</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> reports</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">.</span></span></span></span></h2>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 26.6px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: large; line-height: 26.6px;">The 19-year-old who is related to Nigeria’s football legend Austin Okocha had a good pre-season with the gunners and attracted interest from the England U-19, but Nigeria acted fast and offered him a chance to play for the senior national team which he gladly accepted and today is a full international.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.2px; line-height: 26.6px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;">However, at the Emirates manager Arsene Wenger doesn’t feel he is ripe enough for first team football despite major injuries to Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck leaving only Olivier Giroud as the sole first team striker with Chuba Akpom out on loan.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.2px; line-height: 26.6px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In the premier league, Iwobi has only played for a minute when he came on as a late substitute against Swansea City in October and also made a cameo appearance in the disgraceful lost against Bayern Munich in the Champions League earlier this month.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.2px; line-height: 26.6px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The reports claim that Arsenal is prepared to ship the Nigerian out so that he will get first team experience and Championship duo of Reading and Birmingham City are very interested in his service alongside League One outfit Sheffield United.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.2px; line-height: 26.6px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The window for emergency loan deals in England closes on November 25 so any deal to take Iwobi away from Arsenal must be done before the deadline.</span></div>

Arsenal Forward set to leave before loan window closes

Arsenal starlet Alex Iwobi is on the verge of leaving the club ahead of the closing on the emergency loan window, Daily Star reports . ...

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho rubbishes Leicester title credentials

Unknown 0 Chelsea, England, Europe, Jamievardy, JoseMourinho, LeicesterCity 12:21 PM

<h3 style="background-color: white; line-height: 26.6px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<img alt="Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has praised the work of Claudio Ranieri at Leicester" height="360" src="http://e1.365dm.com/15/11/16-9/20/jose-mourinho-chelsea_3380551.jpg?20151123171504" width="640" /></h3>
<h3 style="background-color: white; line-height: 26.6px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Leicester City climbed to the top of the premier league <span style="white-space: nowrap;">table </span>last weekend thanks to a 3-0 away victory at Newcastle United. The Foxes sit one point above second placed Manchester United who won away at Watford while Mourinho’s men trail the coach Claudio Ranieri led side with 14 points.</span></h3>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 26.6px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 30px;">The Portuguese manager believes Ranieri - whom he replaced for his first stint as Chelsea boss in 2004 - and the Leicester players would not be </span><nobr style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="border-bottom-color: rgb(28, 125, 255) !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; box-sizing: border-box; padding-bottom: 1px !important;">insulted</span></nobr><span style="line-height: 30px;"> by him ruling the Foxes out of the title race.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 26.6px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Whether they be title contenders or not, we should focus on what they are doing and say they are doing amazingly well,” Mourinho said.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 26.6px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“I am happy to see somebody in Ranieri that, when he signed for Leicester, all the bets were that he’d be the first one to be sacked, but he is top of the league.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 26.6px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“I don’t think Ranieri and the Leicester players will insult me if I say I don’t believe they are going to be champions. I think they will accept my comment and feel more my compliments. They deserve respect for what they are doing.”</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 26.6px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 26.6px;">England striker Jamie Vardy who equalled Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of </span><nobr style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 26.6px;"><span style="border-bottom-color: rgb(28, 125, 255) !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; padding-bottom: 1px !important;">scoring</span></nobr><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 26.6px;"> in 10 consecutive Premier League games on Saturday has been one of the star performers for the Foxes this season. </span></div>

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho rubbishes Leicester title credentials

Leicester City climbed to the top of the premier league table last weekend thanks to a 3-0 away victory at Newcastle United. The Foxes s...

Football Remains Uniting Sport

Unknown 0 England, Europe, France, Terrorist 6:12 PM

<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<img alt="Fans" src="http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/A5C2/production/_86743424_hi030174053.jpg" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<h2 style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">England and France yesterday went ahead with their international friendly match at Wembley after the deadly Paris terrorists attacks that claimed the lives of 129 people and injured hundreds more last Friday in a show of defiance, unity and respect between both nations.</span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The game ended 2-0 in favour of England with goals from Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur and Wayne Rooney of Manchester United. But it was a game where the scoreline or the performance was secondary.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It was a show of support by the English for their French rivals who were suffering at this time from the devastation of the attacks. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<img alt="Players united" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/17916/production/_86743569_hi030173867.jpg" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">England fans joined the French supporters in singing the national anthem. Flowers were laid by Prince William, French Manager Didier Deschamps, and Roy Hodgson.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The stadium was filled to capacity with 70,000 fans turning up to show support for the French. The game was attended by prime minister David Cameron, the Duke of Cambridge, the London Mayor and other dignitaries.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">There was of course, the outpouring of emotion by some fans who could not hold back the tears and even the players' resolve would have been tested to the limits by the occasion. A moment's silence was held before kick off with the players and match officials having joint photographs taken in a show of solidarity with the French.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="France" src="http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/929E/production/_86743573_hi030173765.jpg" /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The game in which the French FA turned down a request by the English to be called off turned out to be a spectacle not on the field of play but in the display of unity, love, respect and in its message to the world and the terrorists particularly- Terrorism will not win. Good will always triumph over evil.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Lassana Diarra, lost his cousin in the attacks and was given a standing ovation when he came on for Yohan Cabaye. Athletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann was also applauded after his sister narrowly escaped being murdered by the extremists at the Bataclan concert were most of the massacre occurred.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In Germany, the friendly between Germany and the Netherlands was called off an hour before kick off due to bomb threats to the Hannover stadium where the game was supposed to be played. Police searched through the stadium for explosives but none has been found yet. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<img alt="Minute's silence" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/13E1A/production/_86743418_minutesilencescreengetty.jpg" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The friendly between Belgium and Spain was also called off due to security concerns since some of the suspects were Belgian nationals. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So far, investigations and raids are ongoing in France, Belgium and Germany with different levels of success. However, it is important to note that what has happened in France occurs on a regular basis in the Middle East, Asia and in Africa. And there has been debates concerning the degree of coverage by the media of the Paris attacks when compared to the attacks in other third world countries which may not get near as much coverage as the one in France.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This post is not meant for taking sides or adding to the debate that is currently raging especially on social media over the  media's failure to report extensively or show sympathy or empathy to other atrocities else where. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<img alt="England fans" src="http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/AD2E/production/_86743344_englandfans_afp.jpg" /></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I will however say this, the media should learn to as much as possible, give due and balanced reporting to atrocities done all over the world. As I write, there are reports of a terrorist activity here in Yola, Nigeria were a bomb went off and killed over 30 people at a Tipper Garage. It is not getting any serious coverage as it should on world media.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">All in all, football has shown once again that it can unite people of different race, creed, belief and religion no matter the circumstance. It also has the power to send a strong message to those opposed to peace and liberty. The game between France and England last night is a testament to that fact.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="overflow-area" data-component="collapser" style="-webkit-transform: translateZ(0px); box-sizing: inherit; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; height: 64px; max-height: 64px; min-height: 64px; overflow: hidden;">
</div>

Football Remains Uniting Sport

England and France yesterday went ahead with their international friendly match at Wembley after the deadly Paris terrorists attacks th...