Testing

 Hello

Lampard; impatience or not ready?

 

"Football? Bloody hell!" - Sir Alex Ferguson. 

At the beginning of the 2020/2021 English Premier League season, the top EPL clubs that had their club legend as Managers were Chelsea (Frank Lampard), Manchester United (Olé Gunar Solskjaer) and Arsenal (Mikel Arteta). Eight games in, nobody had the slightest incline that the first casualty among the top six will be club legend and record goal scorer, Lampard, but here we are.

Forty long and weird days without football

It's been 40 days without football. Forty strange days. The last professional football game we saw was Europa League match that saw Rangers fall to Bayern Leverkusen 1-3 at the Ibrox Stadium on Thursday, 12th March.
For many of us football is life. We eat, breathe and live football. Try therefore to imagine how we have survived forty long days without the beautiful game.

El Classico as we know it.

An El classico without Crisitian Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The first in a while.
Before you begin to wonder, yes, obviously Cristiano watched from the stands as a guest. Messi? It can be said he didn't play. We have come to measure Leo with the lofty standard he'd set over the years. Same standard is what we didn't see yesterday night hence the first sentence.

Desert Foxes stop the Eagles mid flight

First off, it is important to note that the better side won the game. Again, Super Eagles gave thier best. In every game of football one side must emerge victorious. The side that take their chances will win.
Through out the AFCON 2019, Algeria has been the most impressive side. They have played as a solid unit under the leadership of Manager, Djamel Belmadi and Captain Riyadh Mahrez who is still fresh from winning the EPL with Manchester City.

Joy in Nigeria as Super Eagles beat Bafana Bafana.

The game commenced in a slow pace with each team being cautious. Rohr started a full fire attack line of Ighalo, Musa and Chukwueze. While Ighalo wasn't afforded space by the South African central defence, Musa and Chukwueze ran the flanks like their homes tormenting the South African defence.
It paid off in the 27th minute when a square pass from Iwobi after an exchange with Musa was met by Chukwueze who needed a second tap to take it past Williams for Nigeria's first.

Their next victim? Pogba.

The hypocrisy of English football press when it comes to football(ers) is mind boggling. We've had cases where they exhibit a basket full of rotten bias in relation to foreign players. It may not be the case but it all looks like they gather and decide to embark on a smear campaign against a foreign player. One player at a time, their latest victim is Paul Pogba.

Ajax grew while Manchester United snored away.

The date is 24th May 2017 and this blogger was seated at the breezy Bush Bar along Nza Street, Independence Layout Enugu with his friend Izuchukwu Mbah seeing the 2016/ 2017 Europa League final between Ajax and Manchester United. On their table were two carcases of arm length tilapia barbecue and 5 bottles of beer.
Three were empty while the ones with liquid content were in a non deliberate race towards emptiness. At the end, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored two goals and handed Josè Mourinho's Manchester United the 2016/ 2017 Europa League trophy.

What happened to SarriBall?

He landed England and lit the English Premier league with a game plan; SarriBall.
The beauty and flair that hit fields across England was so clear that all and sundry believed SarriBall had come to stay.

Return of the Baby Faced Assassin

Known as a super sub in the hands of Sir Alex Ferguson, Olé Gunnar Solskjaer needs no introduction.
His last minute winner against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final is evergreen in the minds of those whose back were either broken or patted by the goal, depending on which side of the divide one is.

Rangers International FC of Enugu, 2018 Aiteo Cup Champions

In an unbelievable encounter that saw Kano Pillars go three goals up, Rangers International of Enugu upturned the scoreline and emerged 2018 Aiteo Cup Champions at the Stephen Keshi stadium, Asaba.

Another French World Cup triumph, exactly 20 years after the last.

Football fans saw the last of the 2018 World Cup as France beat Croatia 4-2 to win the Russian edition on Sunday evening. The match itself may have fallen short of the spark expected of it considering the electrifying semi final games but every second of the festival was worth it.

Messi and Cristiano who?

If Argentina, for logistic reasons had to extend their return flight to Beunos Aires and Portugal decides to leave Russia immediately, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo may have had goodbye shakes at the airport. The significance of Portugals' and Argentina's exit is the uneventful sending home of Leo and CR7.

Horrible, terrible, purrible 'United' display.

One of the most shambolic displays you will see from a top European club was shown by Manchester United against Sevilla at the Theatre of Dreams on Tuesday night. Under a military regime, no side will escape corporal punishment for the kind of display shown by the Old Trafford outfit on the night.

Understanding 'bus parking' in football.

Firstly, an unreserved apology to fans of Chelsea football club on my decision to use the picture above. It has absolutely nothing to do with characteristic of their darling club.
The term 'Parking the bus' was coined by then Chelsea and present Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho in 2004 after a Chelsea game against Tottenham Hotspur.

Argentina beaten blue and white by Nigeria's Super Eagles.

For many Nigerians, the nation won the World Cup yesterday after beating Argentina 4 - 2 in an international friendly played in Russia. Those with that mentality have every right to. It was a thing of pride to cheer your nation on to victory against Argentina. The comedy point for me was Iwobi's kolo on Javier Masherano for the last goal of the game. I haven't ceased to wonder what escaped his lips as he humbly accepted the nutmeg. Trust me, something always escape the lips of the collector. In most cases it's ewo! I will ask Masch for confirmation.

Dear Super Eagles, help the mental and physical health of Nigerians.

I know a handful of football crazy Nigerians who have not watched the Super Eagles play over the years. The decision to avoid Eagles' games wasn't taken in isolation. No one tells a woman whose skirts were blown up by the wind in the market place that trousers are an abomination for women. For them, necessary measures were put in place to keep the heart beating and blood flowing the way it should.

Andrea Pirlo, the last of his kind.

I see football as an art. That is why I rank Ronaldinho,  Zidane and Jay Jay Okocha alongside Michelangelo , Da Vinci and Van Gogh. Anyone who does an ordinary thing in an extra ordinary fashion outside of convention is an artist. By the last sentence, I defined Andrea Pirlo. He makes the list.

Bad officiating; killer of African football.

I have played a league match that prior to the game, the centre referee told me to my face that irrespective of what my side play, we will never win the game. I was wide eyed! I had played games where the referee's biased officiating caused my team to loose but the effrontery shown by this particular centre man in telling me that my side will not win the game was entirely new.

With Russia sure, work begins for the Super Eagles.

After the previous qualifiers against Cameroun in Uyo and Yaounde, every enthusiast of the game in Nigeria expected an easier game against Chipolopolo in Uyo. The Super Eagles so out classed the Indomitable Lions that the games were walks in the park. On that note, an easier game was anticipated against the Zambians in Uyo. Nigerians were in for a shocker.