Worthy Champions!
Chelsea FC have set record for number of Premier League wins in a season. The English club scored 38 goals, garnered 98 points to win the 206/2017 Premier League victory. The Antonio Conte-led club used all three subs in every Premier league match this season (114 in total) – only the 2nd team to do this in a 38-match campaign.
The Blues sealed their victory today after a 5-1 rout of Sunderland on Sunday. Only the club (457 minutes) were in a losing position in Premier League matches for less time than Liverpool FC (471 mins) this season.
“It’s an amazing moment for us to celebrate this win, for me and the players. Come on Chelsea, come on!” – Antonio Conte said.
FA to start banning players for diving from next season.
The Football Association, FA are set to vote on introducing a new law that will see players banned for 2 games if they are found guilty of gaining an unfair advantage for their team by diving. Should voting results be in favour of a ban being introduced, a fast-track three-man panel of experts will be brought in to assess incidents using video footage.
The statement, posted on the FA’s official website, reads in full:
A new offence of ‘Successful Deception of a Match Official’ will be in force from the start of the 2017-18 season, after the regulation change was approved by The FA Council today [18 May] and following a period of consultation with stakeholders over the past few months.
Where there is clear and overwhelming evidence to suggest a match official has been deceived by an act of simulation, and as a direct result, the offending player’s team has been awarded a penalty and/or an opposing player has been dismissed, The FA will be able to act retrospectively under its Fast Track system.
A panel consisting of one ex-match official, one ex-manager and one ex-player will be asked to review all available video footage of the incident independently of one another and then advise The FA as to whether they believe it was an offence of ‘Successful Deception of a Match Official’. Only in circumstances where the panel are unanimous would The FA charge the individual concerned.
This process would be similar to the one used now for a red card offence [violent conduct/serious foul play/spitting at an opponent] which was not seen at the time by the match officials but caught on camera. In this situation, three ex-elite match officials review all the available video footage independently of one another and then advise The FA as to whether they believe it was an offence worthy of instant dismissal.
In accepted and/or proven cases of simulation and/or feigning injury, the offending player would receive a two-match suspension.
Although attempts to deceive the referee by feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled is a cautionable offence for unsporting behaviour, the fact that the act of simulation has succeeded in deceiving a match official and, therefore, led to a penalty and/or dismissal, justifies a more severe penalty which would act as a deterrent.
Should a charge of ‘Successful Deception of a Match Official’ be admitted or found proven, the Independent Regulatory Commission will have the power to rescind the caution or dismissal received by the opposing player as a result of the simulation if it chooses to do so.
Opinion: Lagos @ 50: In Need Of A Yardstick | By: Olaniyan Olawale
This write up is sponsored by popular Lagos twitter handle @GidiweatherEko and the write up does not necessarily represent the opinion of the sponsor but that of the writer.
I believe by now it is no longer news that Lagos, the “New York of Nigeria” as Otunba Dele Momodu once described the largest city in Africa in terms of population and one of the fastest growing cities on planet in his article clocks 50 this year. Every nook and cranny of Lagos you pass by bear images, signposts that inform you of the milestone. Similarly, different social media platforms without any element of exaggeration have been flooded in the past few weeks with different hashtags about this landmark.
The purpose of this write up is not to further market the anniversary or to pronounce this milestone as a success or otherwise but to look at facts that would help us deduce if Lagos at 50 is actually a success as it has been painted to be or if it is otherwise.
Now more than ever have I been forced to think more about the egg and chicken theory; asking myself which came into existence first, if it was the chicken or the egg. I am forced to ask if Lagos came into existence before Nigeria or Nigeria came into existence before Lagos because series of success stories about Lagos flying all over the internet in the past few weeks need some reviews if you ask me. It might be too early to for us to conclude that the success stories of Lagos at 50 are exaggerated if it is a success at all or if the success is being under celebrated, that’s left for readers to decide at the end of this article. I do not have a perfect or well calibrated yardstick at the moment to determine this. For the purpose of this write up and for simplicity sake I would assume a stand that Lagos at 50 is a success.
One way to determine the extent of this success is by comparing Lagos as a state with other states in the Federation. For example, Ogun state a neighbouring state which is often referred to as New Jersey of Nigeria when Lagos is referred to as the New York of Nigeria. Ogun state celebrated 40 years of existence last year but when we try to compare the developmental gap between Lagos and Ogun state, you would agree with me that Ogun is far more than a decade behind Lagos and this goes for so many other states in Nigeria if not all. Ogun just happens to be the state of comparison here. When you talk of industrialization, civilization, commercialization and infrastructural development, Ogun is arguably like three decades behind Lagos. No intention to humiliate Ogun or the great people of Ogun. The prolific Ogun state known for producing national heroes, from sports where you can mention Muda Lawal of blessed memory, to academics where we have the Nobel laureate; Prof Wole Soyinka.
Another way we can determine if Lagos is a success at 50 or not is to look at the economy of the state. Presently, the state is the fifth largest economy in Africa with a GDP.of $30bn according to versus.com with internally generated revenue of about $600M annually. Reports say Lagos has the potential to be Africa’s second largest economy by 2030. These are figures we see all over the internet but the question we ask is, how does this reflect in the life of the average Lagosian?
Get ready for 50 days of non-stop excitement as we celebrate #LagosAt50 pic.twitter.com/mRm4PWEPwk
— Lagos At 50 (@Lagos_50) April 7, 2017
Lagos is a city like none, with its unique history among other states in the country, the commercial hub of the federation. The adopted home of businessmen, politicians, musicians, celebrities and so on. The city of dream, hope and breakthrough. A state whose internally generated revenue is more than the remaining south-western states put together. A state that if it were to be a country would be among the top five economies in Africa. I can go on to write fascinating facts about Lagos but like I said earlier, the purpose of this write up is not market Lagos in any dimension but for readers to make some deduction after reading this. It may surprise us to know that Lagos with all these exciting facts houses Makoko; a place once referred to has the biggest floating city in the world. Off course not the type of floating city we have in the Arab emirates but a perfect opposite of it. Makoko, a complete slum spread out beneath the second longest bridge in Africa and the longest in West- Africa; the third mainland bridge has always been a nightmare for the Lagos state government. The state government have always wanted to demolish the slum and evacuate residents but always through the same approach; force. No one comes to Lagos and visits the Island for business, vacation or just any event without having a full view of the slum. No wonder Lagos is being described as the Ocean of poverty and Island of Wealth.
It is imperative for me to draw our minds to some facts about the state of Lagos today before I close, so we can make some quality deductions and conclude if Lagos at 50 is actually a success worth celebrating or not. Although unemployment is a global challenge but unemployment at rate as high as 21% according to versus.com for a state like Lagos that boasts of an IGR. of about 200 billion naira per annum might not be good enough. Education, healthcare and infrastructures are another area I would want us to ask questions about. Do we have the quality we expect for a state with such enormous IGR? Readers should answer these and decide accordingly if Lagos at 50 is a success, and if it is worth celebrating or perhaps if it is being under celebrated.
Actress, Moji Olaiya dies of heart attack
Two months after welcoming a child in Canada, actress, Moji Olaiya is dead. She reportedly died of heart attack
Daughter to the legendary highlife singer, Victor Olaiya, she made her debut in a Super Story TV series, No Pain No gain, produced by Wale Adenuga. She was aged 42.
May her soul find repose. Amen
Aubameyang offered more than £800,000 a week to join China's Tianjin Quanjian
Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has received an offer from China which would make him the highest paid player in the world. The Gabonese international has been offered more than £800,000 a week to join China’s Tianjin Quanjian. According to L’Equipe, Manchester United are interested in a move for the striker. Aubameyang has scored 39 goals in 48 games this season.
Chelsea and Tottenham dominate the shortlist for the Premier League Player of the Season award.
Chelsea and Tottenham players have dominated the recently released Premier League Player of the Season award list. Harry Kane who netted a total of 22 goals for Spurs this season and Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic who scored 17 goals in his first season were omitted from the list.
Premier League Player of the Season shortlist
Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Christian Eriksen (Tottenham)
Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)
Romelu Lukaku (Everton)
Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham)
Second case of Ebola confirmed in Congo
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the second case of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This development is coming few days after the fatal illness killed 3 people in the 19 suspected and confirmed cases in the region.
Officials are trying to locate 125 people who are believed to be linked to cases in the northeastern province of Bas-Uele in Congo.
The comes one year after the end of the epidemic which killed more than 11,000 people across West Africa.
Victor Moses Signs Endorsement Deal With Opera
Opera (www.Opera.com) is kicking off a partnership with football professional Victor Moses, Chelsea starter and Nigerian national team star player. Moses will be the brand ambassador of Opera Mini the most popular browser in Africa. Starting today, Moses will be featured in the new Opera Mini TV commercial as well as a range of collaborative projects extending throughout 2018.
“Football is one of the most popular types of content consumed by Opera Mini users throughout Africa”, says Jørgen Arnesen, Global Head of Marketing and Distribution at Opera. “Victor Moses is a perfect match for Opera, being not only a high performer, but also a great role model and natural ambassador of his home country Nigeria.”
This coincides with Opera’s recent announcement to invest $100 million USD (30 billion Nigerian nairas) in Africa over the next two years with the goal of strengthening the internet ecosystem in countries such as Nigeria.
Nigeria is home to the second largest population of Opera Mini users. Search, social networking and sport are the most popular content consumed by Opera Mini users in this country. One fourth of them check out live scores and sports news when browsing. This number is relatively higher than the ones in other African countries.
On the topic of the recent partnership, Victor Moses states, “I am proud to be in partnership with Opera and am looking forward to working together. The Opera team have taken me through their plans and vision for the brand in the Nigerian market and it’s made me incredibly excited about the future. I’m delighted to be a part of such a groundbreaking campaign.”
Opera recently launched its first nationwide TV and radio commercials to announce a faster and more affordable internet experience with the Opera Mini browser. Already airing in South Africa and Kenya, there will be a special version for Nigeria. Victor Moses will be challenging his on-field speed against Opera Mini’s.
Photo: 2face threatens to sue Blackface over defamatory remarks
"I endured domestic violence because of my children" Mercy Aigbe opens up in new interview.
Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe-Gentry has opened up on why she endured domestic violence in her 11 year-old marriage. The mother of two who was beaten up by her estranged husband, Olanrewaju Gentry on Sunday, April 16, 2017 has revealed that the physical assault has affected her sight and caused her to bleed internally, she however said that she remained in the turbulent marriage because of her children and to retain the “Mrs” status.
Asked why she came out to say her husband never touched her, she was quick to refute it. “I never for once came out to say that my husband did not beat me. The video people were referring to happened in 2013 when there were rumours of such and I did a video recording alongside my husband to debunk the claim. At that time I had to do it to protect his image and my marriage. I had to do a live video at that time”, she said.
About Beating.
“He beats me consistently.” When probed on why she stayed that long after the consistent beating, Mercy revealed that she did because she wanted a home. “I stayed because I loved him and because every time he beats me, he begs and gets family and friends to beg me. He promised regularly to change but he never did. When my husband gets angry, he gets physical, not only to me but to anyone. He has done that with my house help who reported him to the Police years ago. “I stayed because of my children and because a lot of people look up to me. I was a role model of some sort and I really wanted to keep it together. I just wanted a home”
Why she wants to leave now.
“It’s not like I wanted to walk away but I just feel like we need help. I spoke to my husband’s brother about it. I told him I was going to pack out for some time while my husband seeks therapy. I just wanted to feel safe, that is why I moved my things out. This last beating was brutal. I actually thought I was going to die”.
I’m Still Coughing blood.
The Nollywood actress revealed that her husband broke her orbits which will necessitate a surgery for her to see properly. “I’m still coughing and sneezing blood even after three weeks”, she reveals how severe the injury inflicted upon her is.
My Husband Was Sleeping With a Girl
Aigbe also revealed that the last incident started few days before when she discovered that her husband was sleeping with a lady. A lady she claimed to be her friend whom she was close to. This was a regular attitude from her husband; a man she claims has slept with a lot of people close to her, even her PAs. He confronted him and it led to a huge argument which was turning violent before she had to keep quiet.
He Kept Beating Me
On the day of the incident, Mercy had informed her husband that she was attending a burial of her colleague. After his hesitance, she explained that it would not be fair on the lady since she had promised to be there and even invited him to come along. Mercy revealed that it was her refusal to go and pick her husband up while she was still at her designer’s place that brought the fury of the man on her. He was said to have driven there and started to beat her in the presence of everybody. “Immediately, I opened the door, he kept beating me. I was begging him and asking why he was beating me. He said he would destroy my face such that no make-up would fix it and destroy my career. He was acting like someone who was possessed. I told him “Lanre, mo ma bi mo fun e” (translated as “I have a child for you).
I agree that I am a fool
In the exclusive interview, the Nollywood star said she agrees that she was a fool for staying that long even with all the beating and humiliation. “I believed that a wise woman builds her home. That’s why I stayed that long”, she said.
About Cheating
“If he had shown a bit of remorse, maybe things would have been different. He went on saying that I cheated on him several times. I never cheated. That’s why I told him to come out with proof”, she said.
My Husband was in detention for over 7 months
“My husband was in detention for over seven months and I never left him or go anywhere. Why would I want to go now? He says all this is make-up. He is not showing any form of remorse and still sponsoring lies against me.
Source: Broadway Africa