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AHEAD of the 2019 general elections, a Niger Delta pressure group, Voluntary Political Support Movement, VPSM, has drummed its support for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, describing him as a man with the experience, good intentions and interest to move Nigeria to greater heights. Members of the group in their hundreds drawn from the Niger Delta states made their position known at the end of their general congress held in Warri. The group in a communique signed by its coordinator and secretary general, Comrade Marcus and Dr. Godstime Okorobie respectively, also vowed to tour the rural and urban cities of the region, to sensitize the need to get their Permanent Voters Card and vote for Atiku come 2019. They said: “We have vowed to work for the political aspirations of Atiku as we are already looking forward to congratulating him at the end of the presidential elections come 2019.

Goalkeeper: David De Gea is certain to keep his place in goal as he’s proven himself to be one of the best goalkeeper in the world once again this season. Defence: Mourinho is likely to name the majority of the back four that started during the 2-1 FA Cup semi-final win over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. Antonio Valencia should retain his place ahead of Matteo Darmian at right-back while Ashley Young is the established first choice ahead of Luke Shaw on the left side of defence. Chris Smalling seems to have cemented his position in the back four so he should start but we could see Eric Bailly recalled against Arsenal with Phil Jones making way. Midfield: Paul Pogba produced an encouraging performance at Wembley last weekend so he’ll be looking to silence some of his critics again with another positive display against the Gunners. Nemanja Matic is certain to keep his place in the holding role tomorrow while Ander Herrera seems to have played his way in to Mourinho’s first team pl

The outgoing Arsenal manager will be facing his arch nemesis Jose Mourinho for one last time in his career when his team will travel to take on Machester United. The Gunners season in the Premier League is pretty much over as they are out of sights in the top 4 race. However, a win against Manchester United will certainly give a big boost to the players and the fans. The London outfit is coming on the back of a disappointing draw against Atletico Madrid in the Europa league. Wenger’s team had a glorious chance as they played close to eighty minutes with one man advantage. They did manage to take the lead after mustering up one attack after another. However, all their work was undone when Antoine Griexzmann equalised and scored the crucial away goal to give a sucker punch to the Gunners. Wenger has been resting players in the Premier League as their only hope of qualifying for Champions League is by virtue of winning the Europa league. Former Arsenal man, Alexis Sanchez will be t

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja reassured Nigerians that the unity of the country remained his paramount objective and that of his government. A statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, yesterday, said President Buhari spoke while receiving a delegation of the Tijjaniya Movement led by Sheikh Muhammadu Mahi Ibrahim Inyass at the Presidential Villa. The President said: ‘‘I will continue to do everything within my powers to unite Nigeria.’’ President Buhari commended the religious group for the peaceful conduct of their annual convention and urged them to bring the same to bear in promoting peace, unity and inter-religious harmony in Nigeria. He also lauded the group for complementing government’s efforts in bringing social, economic development, and stability in the country by encouraging discipline, unity and spirituality among its members. Reiterating his remarks on Thursday at the palace of Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman

Chelsea are preparing a £65 million bid for Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly this summer, report the Daily Star. The centre-back has impressed for a long time and has been linked with a move to the Premier League for a while, with Everton, Manchester United and Arsenal also having Koulibaly on their radar. Chelsea are looking to tighten up their defence next season after conceding too many goals, and with a fair amount of youth at their disposal, they may want someone with more experience under their belt. Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images SportMaurizio Lagana/Getty Images Sport The Senegalese international would bring just that, having played over 150 times for Napoli since signing from Genk in Belgium in 2014. This season, he has helped the Italian side to second in the league, and with four games left they are only two points behind leaders Juventus after defeating them at the weekend. Koulibaly scored the winner in that game, his last-minute header meant Napoli means they are in with a

Chelsea star Eden Hazard is eager for a win in the FA Cup final and is fully confident his side can appear victorious against Manchester United following recent fine displays by the Blues. Last season’s finalists defeated Southampton 2-0 last Sunday, which secured them a spot in the final where they will clash with Jose Mourinho’s Man United in May. Hazard and Olivier Giroud combined really well in the second half to secure the Blues the first goal of the game at Wembley. The Belgium international received a long ball well before setting up Giroud to dance between the Saints defenders for the opening goal. Chelsea were defeated by Arsenal last year at Wembley in the final but 27-year-old Hazard is ready to take the win for his team over compatriots Romelu Lukaku and Marouane Fellaini and believes Giroud could be the team’s savior as he has proved himself in recent years. “It’s always nice to play against friends, but we will have to win that game otherwise I’ll have to hear [about

It has been a tough 2018 for Alvaro Morata, but there is no doubt his goal against Southampton would give him a little bit of confidence for the rest of the season. With his header, it is just his third strike in this calendar year to go along with a back injury that kept him out of action for weeks and then being dropped from the Spain squad in their most recent friendly matches. His frustrations boiled over in the win at Burnley on Thursday when he was substituted and then threw his shinpads on the floor in anger, Antonio Conte claiming it was because of missing a massive chance. Antonio Conte's fire is back in time for Jose Mourinho - 5 key points from Chelsea's victory He was one of the players that really celebrated after the game as well with the supporters, and it looks like he is trying to get back on their good side with some slightly turning on him. After Morata's tantrum at being substituted at Turf Moor, this time is was the turn of Willian as he found himsel

Social media users in Egypt have reacted with pride as Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah became the first Egyptian footballer to be named the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year. He is only the second African footballer to win the award, after Leicester City's Algerian midfielder Riyad Mahrez in 2016. Salah, 25, has scored a 31 Premier League goals this season this season (equalling the record held by Luis Suarez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Alan Shearer) with three league games still remaining. Mohamed Salah: Liverpool forward voted PFA Player of the Year In Egypt, his triumph was front page news and the hashtag "the legend Mohamed Salah" has been shared more than 25,000 times since the announcement as compatriots paid tribute to the player Liverpool fans christened the 'Egyptian king'. Egyptian actress Rasha Mahdi was among many to tweet an image of Salah as a pharaoh. Salah is a national icon in Egypt. Last year, the footballer's 95th-

This is the business end of the Uefa Champions League and once again Real Madrid are peaking at exactly the right time. Zinedine Zidane's men have already beaten Paris Saint-Germain, already crowned Ligue 1 champions, and Juventus, on track to win a seventh successive Serie A crown, in the knockout stages. Neither were push overs and the defending champions are still standing and now face the German champions Bayern Munich next. Given Real beat Bayern 6-3 on aggregate over two legs at the quarter-final stage 12 months ago they have every reason to be confident of doing it again. They had a scare against Juventus when they faced the prospect of extra time in the second leg in the Bernabeu after going 3-0 down. They were rescued by Cristiano Ronaldo's controversial penalty, which showed again that the great sides can always find an answer when up against it. As poor as Real were in the second leg, clearly having taken their foot of the gas, it should not be forgotten that t

Luka Modric has left open the possibility of a future move to join Zlatan Ibrahimovic in MLS if he is unable to finish his career with Real Madrid. Croatia international Modric, 32, is nearing the end of his sixth season in LaLiga, having joined from Tottenham in 2012. Like many, he has been intrigued by the circus surrounding Ibrahimovic's recent switch to LA Galaxy and is not ruling out treading a similar path. The former Barcelona forward has netted three goals in as many matches since arriving from Manchester United and Modric admits he tries to keep an eye on the enigmatic striker, providing kick-off times are favourable. "It's difficult [to watch because of the time zones]. Sometimes I watch the games when they are early in Europe," Modric told SVT Sport. "[Ibrahimovic] was such a big player in Europe the last 10 to 20 years. I would like him to play football a bit longer, to watch him, to see his magic like he did in past years. "You never know

Alexis Sanchez expressed his gratitude to Arsene Wenger a day after the Arsenal manager announced he would end his mammoth 22-year reign at the club at the end of the season. The Chilean moved to north London from Barcelona in July 2014 and went on to establish himself as one of the Gunners' key players before leaving for Manchester United earlier this year. Sanchez, who scored 80 goals in 165 appearances for Arsenal, revealed he has been in recent contact with Wenger and described the Frenchman in glowing terms on Saturday evening. Speaking after United's 2-1 FA Cup semi-final victory over Tottenham at Wembley, Sanchez told reporters: "I texted him yesterday to wish him the best. I could not say anything on social media but I texted him and he replied to me saying thank you to me. "It's sad because he is a historical football legend, I always said he is a gentleman and a football master, he taught me a lot about respect and to be professional. "I'm

Jose Mourinho said that his star players had redeemed themselves after the embarrassment of losing to West Brom at home last weekend with a stirring performance to beat Tottenham 2–1 and reach the FA Cup final. And he challenged them to build on their improvement and ensure that they finished second in the Premier League - which he insisted would make for a successful season regardless of whether they win the FA Cup. With Alexis Sanchez and Ander Herrera scoring and Paul Pogba delivering an authoritative display, three of the principal culprits against West Brom were at their best.

Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic reckons he’d break another finger if it meant winning the Copa del Rey on Saturday at the Wanda Metropolitano. Rakitic is just back from surgery on a fractured finger and is expected to feature in the game against Sevilla. The Croatian joked that he’d be happy to go through more pain if it meant Barcelona scooped the cup for a fourth consecutive season. “The first thing I asked the doctors is when can I play again. Now I’m back and I want to do a good job in every training session,” he said. ”I like being with my team-mates and helping my team, so rest can sometimes interrupt your rhythm. ”I don’t like watching games on TV or in the stands, I get more nervous than when I’m on the field. ”Tomorrow, it’s time to grit my teeth and go into the game. If I had to break another finger to win the game, I would do that.” Source | FourFourTwo

Southampton will take on Chelsea in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday looking to cause an unlikely upset. Both teams will be hoping to progress into the final where they will clash heads against the winner of the Manchester United versus Tottenham Hotspur tie. The Saints looks set to be demoted from the Premier League at the end of this season unless they manage to conjure up a miracle run of results in the coming weeks. The FA Cup could prove to be a welcome distraction for them as a win on Sunday versus Conte’s Chelsea team could give their players a massive boost ahead of the final few fixtures of the campaign. The Blues, on the other hand, has had a mediocre season under Antonio Conte so far and the FA Cup could prove to be their last opportunity of winning a major silverware this term. They have struggled in the English top-flight and their chances of earning a top 4 finish remain very slender going into the business end of the season. Hence, all of their eggs are now in t

Arsenal Manager on friday Announced his desire to leave the club at the end of the season. Wenger, 68, will leave a year before his existing contract was due to expire having led the club to three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups during a 22-year reign. Wenger signed his fellow Frenchman Henry from Juventus in 1999, and he went on to score 228 times for the Gunners, winning the Premier League title three times and Golden Boot four times. "Recently, people were always confusing what the team were doing at present with his legacy. Once you announce you are leaving, people are going to talk about your legacy, and his legacy is untouchable. "I'm happy now we can talk about that legacy. Yes, let's not forget we need to win the Europa League, let's not get lost in celebrating, it would be an amazing achievement and a great way to give him an exit. "But I'm finally happy that now, the talk we can all have his about his legacy. It was a bit of a mixed

Arsene Wenger announced on Friday the end of his 22 years as manager of Arsenal. "After careful consideration and following discussions with the club, I feel it is the right time for me to step down at the end of the season," Wenger said in a statement posted on the club's website. "I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years." In 1996, Wenger went into Arsenal - then based at Highbury - as an unknown 46-year-old. But in his first full season in charge, he led the side to the league and FA Cup double. Two more Premier League titles and six more FA Cups have followed. His championship winning team of 2003-04 attained legendary status and were dubbed 'the Invincibles' for remaining unbeaten throughout the entire season. But the superlatives of that campaign have never been revisited. Chelsea, Manchester City and especially Manchester United have since gobbled up the titles. Those failures to win the main do

Former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd) has said he will support any project, organisation or body whose objective is to achieve one Nigeria. Babangida made the declaration in Minna yesterday when he received the new leadership of the Northern Leaders and Stakeholders’ Assembly (NLSA), a northern socio-political advocacy, at his residence in Minna, the Niger State capital. The former military president said as a military officer who had fought for the unity of the country and one that had had the opportunity to govern the country, he would never be a party to any organisation or discussion aimed at the disintegration of the nation. “I will support any group that comes out with a template that will ensure the unity and stability of Nigeria,” Babangida said emphatically, adding: “Politics is all about togetherness and the betterment of the country.” Babangida told the group led by Alhaji Tanko Yakasai to interact with politicians across the country, irrespect

President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday met behind closed doors in London, ostensibly to discuss the congresses and national convention of the ruling party, but in a pre-emptive move the APC announced the membership of a 68-member convention committee to be chaired by Jigawa State governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar. The president’s aide responsible for social media, Alhaji Bashir Ahmad, who released the statement and photograph on Buhari’s meeting with the APC leader through a Twitter post, said: “President Muhammadu Buhari receives national leader of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (Jagaban) today in London.” Although Ahmad did not provide details of the meeting between Buhari and Tinubu, a party source said yesterday that Tinubu might have met with the president to keep him abreast of developments in the party. He said it was most likely the APC leader would

President Muhammadu Buhari will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on April 30 to discuss issues on the fight against terrorism and economic ties between Nigeria and the United States, the White House announced yesterday. “President Trump looks forward to discussing ways to enhance our strategic partnership and advance our shared priorities: promoting economic growth and reforms, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security, and building on Nigeria’s role as a democratic leader in the region,” the White House said in a statement. Buhari, who travelled to the United Kingdom last week ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, is also billed to hold a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May today. The Nigerian president will then address Commonwealth leaders towards the end of the week. According to the White House, “The relationship of the United States with Nigeria is deep and strong, and Nigeria’s economic gro

The Bishop of Methodist Church Nigeria, Diocese of Abakaliki, Bishop Lawson Elom has at the weekend called on President Mohammadu Buhari to prevent the escalation of herdsmen attacks in Nigeria especially as the 2019 general elections approach. Bishop Elom made this known while addressing a mammoth crowd of faithful and stakeholders of the state during the 24th annual synod of the church that took place at Ntezi circuit located in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi state. Elom who spoke on the theme, “strive for peace and holiness-Heb 12:14” at the synod, urged Christians all over the country to continue to pray and advise the government especially in this challenging period. He called on Christians to embark on aggressive evangelism as a away of saving the country from total destruction, also tasking them to invest aggressively in Agriculture to assist the country overcome its food security challenges and reduce crimes. The Bishop, however, expressed worry over the recent he

The Kogi State Governor, Alh. Yahaya Bello has expressed confidence that the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari will guarantee his re-election in 2019, saying the “real voters are behind the President”. Bello stated this in a statement through his Director General of Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo in Lokoja on Sunday. He said the President remains the most popular political figure among the masses of Nigeria. “Two classes determine the electoral success of any candidate in Nigeria. The powerful elites and the masses. In 2015, the masses took over by trooping to the polling units massively to elect Africa’s most popular and most trusted political figure, President Muhammadu Buhari. “Many of us who supported him actually supported his incorruptible and disciplined personality. I founded the Kogi Youth Arise Group with like minds to ensure the victory of the President in Kogi State. President Buhari is a phenomenal leader who truly loves Nigeria. “Almost three years into h