The Nation Newspaper

Tag: West Bromwich Albion

  • New Championship season: West Brom eager to unleash Semi Ajayi

     

    English Championship side West Bromwich Albion can hardly wait to unleash Super Eagles midfielder Semi Ajayi against opponents in the new season as they begin quest for return to the EPL.

    The club few days ago sealed a £1.3m ((about N585m) transfer deal that saw the 25 year old move from League One club Rotterdam to West Brom on an initial four year sojourn.

    West Brom apparently impressed by Ajayi’s exploits proudly announced his capture while reeling out his impressive runs in his former clubs, describing his performance at Rotterdam United where he made over 98 appearances scoring 12 goals as eye-catching.

    Ajayi who emerged sky Bet championship player of the year in 2018/19 appeared in all 46 league games played by the Millers.

    Ajayi who made Super Eagles provisional list for the just ended Nations cup but failed to make the final 23-man team, started his career at Charlton Athletic, earning his first professional contract in January 2012 after progressing through the ranks at The Valley.

    The former Nigeria under 20 ace who was born in London to Nigerian parents, was given his senior Super Eagles debut in September 2018, coming on in the second half of a 3-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win against Seychelles, and has since made six appearances for the super Eagles.

    Semi Ajayi by joining West Brom, will be following the footsteps of former Nigeria international Peter Odemwingie who played for the Baggies from 2010 to 2013 making 87 appearances scoring 30 goals.

    Odemwingie had joined the side for an undisclosed fee on a two-year contract, with the option of a third year in the club’s favour.

    A day later, he scored an 81st minute goal on his premier league debut as Baggies beat Sunderland by a lone goal.

    West Brom begin the new season against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, August 3rd.

  • Liverpool’s Salah targets Champions League over individual glory

    Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah says helping the team win the Champions League is more important than any individual award he could receive this season.

    The Egyptian reached the 40-goal mark across all competitions this season in Liverpool’s 3-0 Premier League win over Bournemouth on Saturday.

    He is also leading the race for the European Golden Shoe after an impressive campaign.

    Liverpool beat Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate this month to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, where they will face AS Roma, and Salah hopes the run can continue.

    “To win the Champions League,” Salah said when asked if he preferred to win the competition or an individual award.

    Read Also: ‘Salah-less’ Liverpool fail to beat Everton

    “If you had a choice, then of course, the Champions League.

    “…To win the Champions League is huge for everyone. I don’t care about the rest.”

    The 25-year-old has scored 30 goals in 32 league appearances for Liverpool in his debut season at the club and is a favourite to win the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year award.

    Liverpool plays West Bromwich Albion in the league on April 21 before the first leg of their Champions League tie, three days later.

    NAN

  • Pellegrino says Southampton must keep fighting for points

    Pellegrino says Southampton must keep fighting for points

    Southampton must continue to fight for every single point in the English Premier League, manager Mauricio Pellegrino said on Monday, following Saturday’s narrow 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

    Moroccan midfielder Sofiane Boufal ran almost the length of the pitch to score a stunning 85th-minute goal at St Mary’s Stadium to score.

    It helped the Saints post their third win of the season.

    Goals have been in short supply for Southampton — Boufal’s wonder-strike was their eighth of the season — but Pellegrino said he was happy with the team’s style of play.

    “In football in the Premier League you have to fight for every single point,” the Argentine manager said.

    “We play a very difficult team and to beat them you have to do a lot of things. I am happy with how we play and we have to continue,” he added.

    “To sustain and to win games you have to play well. You have to play better than the opponent… This is our job and I will repeat that the attitude of the players is right. It’s good.”

    Southampton, who are 10th in the league with 12 points from nine games, travel to 12th-placed Brighton and Hove Albion in the league on Sunday.

    NAN

  • Uganda tops World Cup group after upsetting Egypt

    Uganda tops World Cup group after upsetting Egypt

    Emmanuel Okwi scored early in the second half to hand Uganda a
    surprise 1-0 World Cup win over Egypt in Kampala on Thursday and put themselves top of their group
    standings at the halfway stage of the qualifiers for Russia.

    Uganda moved to seven points after three matches in Africa’s Group E, ending Egypt’s 100 per cent record as
    they upset the odds in a dominant home performance that provided them their first win over Egypt in
    more than a half century.

    Okwi took advantage of the Egyptian defence, notably new West Bromwich Albion signing Ahmed Hegazi, backing off as he jinxed his
    way into the penalty area and hammered the ball home in the 51st minute.

    The goal came soon after Egypt’s 44-year-old goalkeeper Essam Al Hadary had made the second of two close-range stops to deny the home
    country, who have never previously played at the World Cup finals.

    Egypt’s closest moment came when Mohamed Salah’s header was parried away by Uganda goalkeeper Denis Onyango just after the hour
    mark.

    Egypt, second in the group with six points, can regain top place in the standings if they beat Uganda in the reverse fixture in Alexandria on
    Tuesday

  • West Brom offer £10m for Jake Livermore

    West Brom offer £10m for Jake Livermore

     

    West Bromwich Albion have made a £10 million offer for Hull City midfielder Jake Livermore, according to Press Association Sport.

    The Baggies are reportedly chasing the 27-year-old after missing out on Morgan Schneiderlin to Everton and Albion boss Tony Pulis is keen to add quality to his squad as they try to maintain a surprise challenge for Europa League qualification.

    West Brom have money to spend this month and made an offer of around £18m for Schneiderlin before he joined Everton from Manchester United in a deal worth £24m.

    PA report that the Baggies were also interested in Jeffrey Schlupp, but the Ghana international moved to Crystal Palace from Leicester for around £12m last week, and that they will only make a move for a striker if Saido Berahino leaves this month.

    Stoke, who have previously offered £20m for Berahino, are in talks with the Baggies for the striker, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

    Livermore was a late substitute in Hull’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth, manager Marco Silva’s first Premier League game since taking charge.

    He has made 25 appearances for Hull this season and 104 in total since he joined from Spurs in 2014.

    Hull are third from bottom in the Premier League and only in the relegation zone on goal difference following Saturday’s win over the Cherries, which was their first in the league since November.

    Moses first joined Chelsea in the 2012/13 season, but was loaned out every subsequent summer as soon as Jose Mourinho returned to the club.