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Tag: Victor Moses

  • EPL: Moses strike gives Chelsea win at Burnley

    Nigerian Striker, Victor Moses, struck a 69th-minute winner for his Chelsea to give Antonio Conte’s side a 2-1 Premier League victory over Burnley at Turf Moor on Thursday.

    Chelsea had taken a 20th-minute lead through a Kevin Long own goal and was well in control of the game.

    However, Burnley drew level when Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s low drive went in off Burnley striker Ashley Barnes.

    But the Blues restored their lead when a cross from the left by Emerson reached Moses at the back post and he took his time before firing past Nick Pope.

    The win moved fifth-placed Chelsea to within five points of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

    The loss ended Burnley’s five-match winning streak.

    NAN

  • Moses sees four minutes action in Chelsea win

     

    Super Eagles winger Victor Moses was a very late substitute with just four minutes action as Chelsea survived initial scare to win 2-3 away to Southampton on Saturday.

    The Nigeria international was thrown into the game in the 86th in place of Eden Hazard at a time when both teams were cautiously playing to see off regulation time.

    Southampton had started on a no nonsense note hitting target in the 21st minute thanks to Serbian import Dušan Tadić.  The homers maintained the lead till the end of the first half and on resumption of hostilities in the second half increased the tally in the 60th minute. It was however Olivier Giroud who came off the bench that flagged off the table turning push scoring in the 70th minute after enjoying an assist from  Marcos Alonso.  Hazard found his scoring boot in the 75th minute before Giroud again hit target to hand the Blues a 3-2 victory.

    Chelsea looked destined to suffer a sixth defeat from nine league outings when Jan Bednarek put Saints 2-0 up after an hour, but Antonio Conte’s decision to throw Giroud on from the bench proved a masterstroke.

    Despite appearing to be in the ascendancy early on, Chelsea’s lack of craft meant Southampton were comfortable, and that encouragement ultimately led to the home side breaking the deadlock.

    Ryan Bertrand did well down the left before setting up Dusan Tadic for a straightforward fourth goal of the season.

    Chelsea were not much better immediately after the restart and, after failing to heed a warning courtesy of Shane Long, the Saints’ lead was doubled thanks to a fine finish from Bednarek, who was making his first start for the club.

    It was only after Giroud’s introduction in the 61st minute that Chelsea took charge, as the France international scored twice either side of an emphatic Eden Hazard finish to wrap up an unlikely victory to leave Southampton in the bottom three

    Saturday’s clash might as well pass for some form of rehearsal as both teams again go head to head at Wembley next week in their FA Cup semi-final.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Sports sector reforms: Work intensifies on Ogbemudia Stadium revamp

    The Edo State government has intensified work on the revamp of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium to meet international standard as part of the overall reform of the sports sector in the state.

    According to the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, the walls are being reinforced with concrete pillars and all the roads and drainage system in the area hosting the stadium are undergoing reconstruction.

    “Edo people deserve a world class stadium. Our contribution to sports globally is common knowledge both in the number and quality of athletes Edo State has produced for the world stage. We also want to provide standard playing fields for our young ones whose turn it is to replicate the success stories of yesteryear,” Obaseki said.

    He maintained that “sport is a huge industry with allied businesses that can take most of our idle youths away from the streets. We want to produce more Victor Moses, Julius Aghahowa, Austin Eguavoen, Osazee Odemwingie and Odion Ighalo.”

    He said part of the reforms of the state’s sports sector includes the rebranding of Bendel Insurance and the club’s restructuring to ensure that the club can overcome funding, administrative and other challenges.

    The 20 mini-stadia that will be spread across the state will serve as talent grooming and skills honing ground for youths in the 18 local government areas.

    On completion, the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium’s tartan tracks and the offices will be modernised while the synthetic grass in the pitch would be replaced with natural grass. The gymnasium and the lawn tennis courts would also be upgraded to international standard.

    There will be a roof over the entire stand of the stadium. The trusses that will support the roof are being erected already.

    The swimming pool is part of the project but it will be done in the second phase. The entire renovation work will be completed by October.

    Bendel Insurance of Benin will now play its home matches at the University of Benin football field as a result.

  • Ebonyi fans plead with Nigerians over Super Eagles loss to Serbia

    Ebonyi football fans have pleaded with football fans in the country over the Super Eagles 2-0 loss to Serbia in a friendly on Tuesday in London.

    The fans in an interview with the our reporter on Thursday in Abakaliki pleaded with Nigerians not to crucify the Super Eagles over the 0-2 loss to Serbia in the friendly.

    Commenting on the outcome of the match, the fans, however, noted that the NFF and the team’s technical crew had lots of work to do before the World Cup.

    Emmanuel Uzor, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. David Umahi, said the match provided the essence of friendly games which was to reveal the actual condition of teams.

    “The match is a wake-up call on the players and coaches that several issues need to be addressed before June, for the country to perform credibly at the world Cup.

    “All aspects of the team need to be reviewed and strengthened and the players need to be adequately motivated to perform optimally,’’ he said.

    Sule Abubakar, Head of Sports Development of the Hausa community in Ebonyi, urged the NFF to urgently address the issue of Captain John Mikel Obi’s unavailability for national call-ups.

    “The skipper is sorely missed in the two matches as the situation is reminiscence of the AFCON 2019 qualifier against South Africa when he and other top players were missing.

    “All issues concerning his work permit need to be sorted out before the next set of friendlies because serious contenders for the World Cup are presently playing with their best players,’’ he said.

    Chief Abel Nwankpuma, a hotelier, urged Coach Gernot Rohr to stop experimenting at this stage and stick to the starting team which ensured Nigeria’s World Cup qualification.

    “The coach used the friendlies to experiment and I believe that he has assessed the players and determined their capabilities to perform at the world stage.

    “He should now use the remaining three friendly opportunities to assess his starting team and experiment on formations instead of players,’’ he said.

    Billy Agbai, Goalkeeper Trainer of Bright Light FC of Abakaliki, urged Rohr to give opportunities to some experienced players in the remaining friendly matches.

    “Rohr should test Austin Ejide who is presently performing well in Israel if he has no confidence in Ikechukwu Ezenwa because Francis Uzoho is inexperienced for such a big stage.

    “Uzoho did not inspire confidence during both friendlies but Ezenwa has been consistent since the qualifiers, while Ejide can offer the needed experience having been to previous World Cups,’’ he said.

    Mrs Uzomma Chukwunweike, a Physical and Health Education Teacher, also called for the re-assessment of players such as Obafemi Martins and Efe Ambrose.

    “The Eagles attack spearheaded by Odion Ighalo has been blunt with the goals coming from schemers such as Victor Moses and Alex Iwobi.

    “Obafemi Martins with his experience can be tried in the next friendlies due to time constraints while a more experienced Efe Ambrose can supplement Leon Balogun instead of the rookie — Chidozie Awaziem,’’ she said.

    NAN

     

  • Moses confident of victory against Man. City

    Moses confident of victory against Man. City

     

    Chelsea face Manchester City on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium, and Nigerian Winger, Victor Moses believes that the blues has all it takes to fight for victory.

    In an interview with the Premier League News, Moses said that the top four remains the priority of Chelsea, and they will achieve that, beginning with a victory against red-hot Manchester City.

    “We just want to take this game, and do the best that we can do. We just need to stay hungry, and try not to concede. We have a lot of chances, and we hope to finish in the top four.

    “The game on Sunday is going to be interesting.

    Chelsea  lost 2-1 to Manchester United at the Old Trafford last weekend, with Romero Lukaku and Jesse Lingard cancelling out Willian’s  lead for the Blues, with Manchester City crushing Arsenal 3-0 at the Emirates on Thursday, with Louryn Sane, Bernando Silva and David Silva sealing the victory.

    The blues fell 1-0 to Manchester City at Stamford Bridge with Kelvin De Brune, getting the lone goal in September 2017.

    Manchester City is currently leaders of the English Premier League, with 75 points, as against Chelsea’s 53 who are currently fifth on the table, 22 points behind their opponents, Man. City.

     

  • Football is more than a religion in Nigeria – FIFA president

    Football is more than a religion in Nigeria – FIFA president

    FIFA President Gianni Infantino has described Nigeria as a country with unquantifiable passion and love for football, and where football is more than a religion.

    “I was told that in Nigeria football is passion, but it is a lie because it is more than that. In Nigeria I was told that football is love, but it is a lie it is more than that.

    “In Nigeria, I was told that football is a religion, but it is a lie. It is more than that. In Nigeria, football is life,” he said in Lagos on Monday.

    Infantino spoke at the maiden edition of the AITEO-NFF Awards, which was organised by the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF ) and bankrolled by oil giants AITEO Group.

    The event held at the Eko Hotels and Suites saw Chelsea FC winger Victor Moses winning the “Player of the Year” award.

    Speaking also at the event, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, pledged his administration’s continued support to football and sports in general.

    “We will continue to give our unrelenting support to football and sports in general, I want to assure the President of FIFA that whenever he is coming back, Lagos will be considered to host a FIFA tournament,’’ he said.

    In his address, the Deputy Managing Director of AITEO Group, Francis Peters, said the oil conglomerate was happy to be part of football history in Nigeria in good times.

    NFF president Amaju Pinnick, on his part, said the awards night was to celebrate Nigerian legends for their contributions to the development of football in the country.

    He also said football administration was a journey and not a destination, adding “therefore, there must be a conscious effort to minimise errors for fear of losing the opportunity.

    “In Nigeria, football is a way of life and everybody is a coach. So, we need to be very careful. Football teaches us ethics and how to live a normal life,” Pinnick said.

    NAN reports that Moses got the award and recognition for his stellar performances for the national team, the Super Eagles, en route their qualification for Russia 2018.

    He was an integral part of the side during the historic qualification matches where he played in four of the six matches scoring three goals in the process.

    Moses also helped his Chelsea side reclaim the English Premier League title in the 2016/2017 season where he featured in 40 games.

    The 27-year old also got CAF’s recognition by being among the nominees for CAF’s Player of the Year award eventually won by Egypt’s Mohamed Salah.

    To win the AITEO-NFF award, he beat competition from Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi and Lobi Stars’ Anthony Okpotu.

    NAN reports that other winners at the awards include Rasheedat Ajibade who claimed the “Player of the Year (Women)’’ award and Ikouwon Udoh who emerged “Young Player of the Year (Women)’’.

    Ann Chiejine won the “Coach of the Year (Women)’’ award, while MFM FC’s midfielder Sikiru Olatunbosun took the “Goal of the Year’’ award.

    Remo Stars FC won the Fair Play award, while the “Coach of the Year (Men)’’ award went to Kennedy Boboye, coach of 2017/2018 NPFL champions Plateau United FC of Jos.

    Channels Television won the “Developmental Award”.

    The “All-Time Legendary Awards” went to Chiejine, Christian Chukwu, Uche Okechukwu, Austin Eguavoen, Felix Owolabi, Austin Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Segun Odegbami, Adokie Amaesimaka, Mercy Udoh and Thompson Usiyen.

    The Platinum Award went to Infantino.

    NAN

     

  • Chelsea beat West Brom to move back into EPL top 4

    Chelsea beat West Brom to move back into EPL top 4

    Two goals from Belgian wizard Eden Hazard and another by Victor Moses earned Chelsea a 3-0 home win over struggling West Bromwich Albion in the English Premier League on Monday.

    It was a result which eased pressure on Coach Antonio Conte following two defeats for the champions.

    The lively Hazard twisted his way goalwards in the 25th minute before playing a neat one-two with new signing Olivier Giroud.

    The Frenchman held off defenders to place the ball for the Belgium international to smack it past goalkeeper Ben Foster.

    Moses added Chelsea’s second after sprinting down the wing and laying the ball off to Cesc Fabregas, whose flick was deflected back into the Nigerian’s path.

    Hazard’s second goal wrapped up the points as Chelsea moved back into the top four.

    In the 71st minute, he received a pass from substitute Alvaro Morata, and linked past defender Jonny Evans to lift the ball into the net.

    Read Also: EPL: Watford’s late goals stun 10-man  Chelsea

    Chelsea has 53 points from 27 games, one point ahead of London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and a point behind third-placed Liverpool in the race for UEFA Champions League qualifying spots.

    A beaming Conte, whose side had lost their previous two Premier League games at home to Bournemouth and at Watford, hurried round the pitch after the whistle, shaking hands.

    The Italian, who won the title in his first season in charge, has had a strained relationship with the club hierarchy since last summer after disagreements over buying players.

    There have been suggestions he would leave at the end of the season.

    But his players, so lacklustre against Watford, looked energised after a week’s rest.

    France international Giroud, who joined last month from Arsenal, provided a target man and combined well with Hazard and Fabregas.

    He left the pitch to applause in the 70th minute, his head swathed in bandages after he was kicked in a goalmouth melee in the first half.

    “He is a great target man,” Hazard said later on. “Maybe one of the best in England. So, we can pass the ball and go around him.

    “He is a good point of reference. We have plenty though as we have him, Alvaro and I can play striker also.”

    It was a miserable night for Alan Pardew’s West Brom side, who has won once in their last 25 Premier League games.

    In spite of a lively start they managed one shot on target.

    The disappointment was compounded with the loss of Daniel Sturridge barely three minutes into the game.

    The striker, on loan from Liverpool, limped off to be replaced by Jay Rodriguez.

    The visitors also failed to convert good chances that fell to Jonny Evans, Salomon Rondon and Rodriguez.

    Chelsea is still competing on three fronts.

    They face Hull City in the FA Cup fifth round on Friday before meeting FC Barcelona in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League on Feb. 20.

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  • Victor Moses rewards loyal followers

    Victor Moses rewards loyal followers

     

    Super Eagles and Chelsea wing back Victor Moses is to put a smile on the face of at least one of his loyal followers on social media with a signed boot and shirt.

    The Nigerian international hit the one million mark followers on Saturday and in appreciation posed a question to his followers with the lucky winner expected to emerge on Sunday through a random selection.

    Moses who is likely to be a sure pick for the 2018 world cup in Russia all things being equal, thanked his fans for their support reminding them that he is a man of his word.

    “As promised wanted to thank you all for your support getting to 1 million followers! For chance to win my signed shirt&boots just reply to this tweet&answer: Which team did I score my first ever Premier League goal for Chelsea against? I’ll pick a winner at random tomorrow. Good luck!” he submitted Saturday.

    Moses who has been very effective for the Blues since his return from back to back loan sojourn at Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham United respectively, has so far made about 74 appearances for Chelsea with five goals to his credit

    The former Wigan Athletic ace who was impressive in Nigeria’s qualification for the world cup was an unused substitute in Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat Wednesday by visiting Bournemouth but will be hoping to be part of the party when the team visit Watford on Monday.

     

     

     

     

  • Moses caps Chelsea victory over Brighton H/ Albion.

    Moses caps Chelsea victory over Brighton H/ Albion.

     

    Super Eagles forward Victor Moses provided the icing on the cake on Saturday, converting 89th minute chance to round up Chelsea demolition of Brighton and Hove Albion.

    The Antonio Conte led side had no atom of mercy for their hosts as they ran away with a 4-0 victory. Signs that it was going to be a bad day for the host emerged in the 3rd minute when Eden Hazard shot the Blues into the lead.

    Teammate William increased the tally three minutes later after enjoying a a time assist from Belgium international Michy Batshuayi

    Chelsea were not only enjoying the goal feast  but also enjoyed 58% possession in front of 30,600 spectators at The American Express Community Stadium.

    Brighton and Hove Albion coach Chris Hughton and his boys had no answer had no solution to their woes as Chelsea continued the feast on resumption of the second half as Hazard returned in the 77th minute for his second goal of the match thanks to Williams assistance. The 89th minute strike by Moses capped the Blues party after getting an assist from Musonda.

    While Chelsea were busy counting their goals Brighton and Hove Albion were counting their cautions as three of the players received yellow cards in the 36th, 56th and 79th minutes respectively. The contribution of Moses is no doubt likely to tickle the fancy of Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr who is hoping that his players enjoy good playing time in their clubs with a view to remaining in super form ahead of the World Cup where they will face Argentina, Croatia and Iceland. Moses was in action for the entire duration of the match.

    Meanwhile Chelsea attacker Willian marked his 50th consecutive appearance in the Premier League, the longest current run of successive games in the division among outfield players, with a fine goal.

    Willian was named in Antonio Conte’s starting line-up for Saturday’s trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, with fellow forwards Pedro and Alvaro Morata missing through suspension after they were sent off in the midweek FA Cup replay against Norwich City.

    The 29-year-old Brazilian featured alongside Eden Hazard and Michy Batshuayi – given a rare start deputising for Morata – in the Blues frontline as Conte seeks to arrest a run of five straight draws in all competitions.

    And Willian scored his 23rd Premier League goal in the sixth minute, rounding off a stunning team move with a 20-yard finish after Hazard had put Chelsea ahead.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Moses in top shape for Athletico Madrid clash

    Moses in top shape for Athletico Madrid clash

     

    Returnee Chelsea and Super Eagles ace Victor Moses can hardly wait to show Athletico Madrid the exit door in the Champions League as both teams slug it out it out Tuesday at the Stamford Bridge.

    Antonio Conte boys had a comprehensive training Monday in readiness for showdown. Moses who was impressive in the Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat of Newcastle Saturday at the Bridge is returning to Champions league campaign after injury forced him to miss the ties against Roma and Qarabağ respectively.

    Meanwhile David Luiz will be denied a return to Chelsea’s starting XI against Atletico Madrid through injury as Antonio Conte targets the elimination of a traditional Champions League contender.

    Centre back Luiz, 30, was unable to train with his team-mates at Cobham on Monday as he continues to struggle with a knee problem.

    That will prevent him from replacing his apparent successor, Andreas Christensen, at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday as Conte considers shuffling his pack.

    Luiz worked with Chelsea’s physios away from the rest of the squad as his recovery continues – although the Premier League champions continue to refuse to put a time-frame on the issue.

    Chelsea have already guaranteed progress to the knock-out stages but a win against Atletico would secure top spot in Group C, while sending Tuesday’s opponents out.

    ‘I think this game is important because we are playing against Atletico Madrid and they have shown in the past to be an important team in this tournament,’ Conte said.

    ‘Now, there is a risk they will be eliminated, but we have to play a good game, to improve our confidence, and because we want to reach the first position in our group.’

    While Luiz was absent Eden Hazard’s brother, 22-year-old Kylian, trained with the first team on Monday along with academy star Jacob Maddox, 19.

    Bayern Munich, Juventus and Real Madrid are among the teams sitting  second in their groups as it stands, priming them as options for Chelsea to draw.

    Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sevilla and Basle are also in the runner-up positions in their groups.

    ‘If you arrive first, you could then get teams like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Juventus,’ Conte said. ‘It doesn’t change a lot if you arrive first or second.

    ‘The most important thing is to reach the next stage, but for our mission and our confidence, it would be right to win and arrive first.’