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Saturday, 24 August 2013

FIBA AFROBASKET: NIGERIA'S D' TIGERS CELEBRATION CUT SHORT AS INJURY CONCERN GROWS!..

Even though the Male national basketball team, D'Tigers decisioned the Republic of Congo last night with an emphatic 93-78 victory at the ongoing African Basketball Championship in the commercial city of Abidjan, Cote D'ivoire, all seems not to be well as the team has been thrown into confusion with a couple of high profile players down due to injuries.

The latest came in the game last night when 6'9"Andy Ogide suffered a knee injury.

Confirming this development to Brila Fm this morning, media manager of the Nigerian Basketball federation Patrick Omorodion further revealed that just nine players are left for Coach Ayo Bakare to choose from.

"Well I can confirm to you that the camp is not too happy this morning. Yesterday again, we lost another player to injury, Andy Ogide, and from what the physiotherapists are saying he might not play further part in the championships and this adds to the injury of Richard Oguche during the game against Mali and so the coach right now is not a very happy man"

Meanwhile, despite losing three players at the ongoing FIBA Afrobasket championship, head coach of the team, Ayo Bakare says he is satisfied with the performance of his players so far.

"I am satisfied with the performance of the team, they played better than when we faced Mali and that's because we were able to correct some of the mistakes we noticed in the first game" he said.


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BALE IS NO RONALDO SAYS LAUDRUP AS SWANSEA FACE TOTTENHAM ON SUNDAY!...

The Dane, who faces a Tottenham side on Sunday that will be without the Real Madrid-bound Welshman, believes the 24-year-old is a level below the Portugal international.

The Tottenham winger is on the verge of sealing a world-record transfer to Real Madrid after the Liga giants tabled a bid worth around €100 million.

However, Swansea manager Laudrup, who played at the Santiago Bernabeu for two years in the 1990s, feels Bale, despite being amongst the best players in the world, is not yet in the same bracket as Ronaldo or Barcelona star Lionel Messi. 


"You have to admit Gareth Bale was a superstar for Tottenham last season," said the Dane. 

"Even when you have a good team it is always so nice that there is one player, like Bale, who you can give the ball to and he will do something great.

"When you see Real Madrid play they are very good players but at certain points they have Ronaldo, and Barcelona have Messi. 

"Super teams but also they have that one player who makes a difference.

"For me, over the last four or five years those two have been at a level by themselves.

"Then you have 10 or 12 players just below that and Bale is definitely there with [Andres] Iniesta, [Sergio] Aguero and Robin van Persie.

"They are all great players, but you have to say Messi and Ronaldo are something special."
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ARSENE WENGER INSISTS PODOLSKI IS GOING NOWHERE AS THE GERMAN NETTED A BRACE AGAINST FULHAM!...

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted forward Lukas Podolski isn't going anywhere this summer.

Reports in Germany suggested the Gunners may be willing to offload the 28-year-old on loan to Bundesliga outfit Schalke.

The German netted a brace to help the Gunners to a 3-1 win over Fulham on Saturday afternoon, a result which is sure to ease the pressure on Wenger following last weekend's defeat to Aston Villa.

And while Podolski has found first-team opportunities limited at the Emirates Stadium, Wenger was keen to highlight his importance to the team.

When asked whether he expects to keep the German forward, Wenger said: "Yes. We have had no interest from anybody. No-one has made any enquiries about him.

"I'm pleased for him [following his two goals against Fulham] because he hasn't always started recently, a decision which has been made more for the balance of the team rather than personal performance.

"He's always high-spirited, he's a very important player in the team and he can score goals.

"He's a great strike partner, everybody in the squad loves him and I want to keep him."

The Frenchman also responded to questions regarding Arsenal's lack of transfer activity, and suggested the club may be looking to make a number of signings before the transfer window closes in a few days.

When prompted about when he expects to secure his unnamed targets, he added: "Not before Fenerbahce [in their midweek Champions League tie], but before next weekend possibly.

"I'm not the only one who can decide [when the singings are secured], but we're in the market."


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Friday, 23 August 2013

MATCH FACTS: FULHAM V ARSENAL

HEAD TO HEAD:

Three of the last five meetings between the two clubs have ended in a draw.

Fulham have won just three of 24 Premier League matches against the Gunners; all three of those wins have come at Craven Cottage.

Arsenal have won on eight of their 12 trips to Craven Cottage since Fulham were promoted to the Premier League.

There have been four red cards in the last three Premier League fixtures between the teams at Fulham.


FULHAM

Fulham have lost their last four home matches dating back to last season, including April's 1-0 defeat to the Gunners. They were beaten nine times at Craven Cottage during the 2012-13 campaign - the equal-most home defeats in last season's Premier League.

The last time Fulham started a campaign with back-to-back victories was their 2000-01 promotion-winning season when they won their opening 11 fixtures.

Darren Bent has scored six goals in his last eight Premier League games against Arsenal.

Martin Jol's men have scored six of their last eight goals in the second half of matches.


ARSENAL

Arsenal took 19 points in London derbies last season, more than any club from the capital. Victory would see them become the first club to register 100 London derby wins in the Premier League.

Only Manchester City (34) conceded fewer goals than the Gunners (37) last season.

All 12 of Olivier Giroud's 12 Premier League goals have been scored in London (11 at the Emirates Stadium).

The Gunners have been given more Premier League red cards since the start of last season than any other side (six).

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MATCH PREVIEW: FULHAM V ARSENAL

Fulham manager Martin Jol must decide whether to give ex-Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker his debut against Arsenal.

Goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg injured his shoulder at Sunderland so David Stockdale is set to start.

Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny is banned after his sending off against Aston Villa last weekend.

Nacho Monreal is back in the Gunners' squad, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee) has joined a lengthy injury list headed by Thomas Vermaelen (back).

The alarm sirens for Arsene Wenger's reign will be screeching if Arsenal lose back-to-back opening league matches for the first time since the inaugural Premier League season 21 years ago.

If they surrender as meekly as they did against Villa then Fulham can record successive opening Premier League victories for the first time.

But the Gunners reminded everyone that they're not far short of being a really good team when they won handsomely at Fenerbahce in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Arsene Wenger has been overly-cautious in the transfer marker so far, but some of the criticism of him has bordered on the hysterical.

Fans have rightly been frustrated that big-name signings have been mooted yet no deals have been forthcoming. But it's not Wenger's fault that Liverpool wouldn't sell Luis Suarez. The Anfield club told us last week the Uruguayan was never going to move to the Emirates.

Yohan Cabaye's smooth passing and movement would add numbers and quality to midfield, a composed defender like Ashley Williams is a must, while a consistently reliable goalkeeper like Asmir Begovic would be an improvement.

A marquee signing up front would also appease the fans - although actually the side already has plenty of potency with four players reaching double figures last season.

Olivier Giroud will always be unfairly compared to Robin van Persie but his 19 goals from 49 games ratio is a decent return. He scored twice in the home game last season against Fulham, who've never won at Arsenal.

Martin Jol has significantly added bite to his midfield with the signing of Scott Parker. The loaning of Darren Bent is also sharp business.


Fulham certainly have enough quality to stay up, although they will have to end their miserable Spring slump at home where they've lost their last four games.

But Fulham's opening win at Sunderland was flattering. The home side dominated possession and had 14 shots. The Cottagers won it with their only effort.


There is also a lack of pace in key areas of Jol's side. Theo Walcott, supplied by Santi Cazorla, can exploit that. It'll be tight and tense but I can't see Arsenal being beaten again.
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SATURDAY'S FRENCH LIGUE 1 FIXTURES..

Valenciennes
V
Marseille
4:00pm

Bordeaux
V
Bastia
7:00pm

Evian Thonon Gaillar
V
Rennes
7:00pm

Guingamp
V
Lorient
7:00pm

Lyon
V
Reims
7:00pm

Montpellier
V
Sochaux
7:00pm

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SATURDAY'S SERIE A FIXTURES!..(SEASON STARTERS)..

Verona
V
AC Milan
5:00pm

Sampdoria
V
Juventus
7:45pm

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SATURDAY'S LA LIGA FIXTURES!..

Elche
V
Real Sociedad
6:00pm

Espanyol
V
Valencia
8:00pm

Villarreal
V
Valladolid
10:00pm

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SATURDAY'S BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES!...

B Leverkusen
V
Bor M'gladbach
2:30pm

Bayern Munich
V
Nuremberg
2:30pm

Hannover 96
V
Schalke 04
2:30pm

Mainz
V
Wolfsburg
2:30pm

TSG Hoffenheim
V
SC Freiburg
2:30pm

Hertha Berlin
V
Hamburg
5:30pm

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SATURDAY'S PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES!...

Fulham
V
Arsenal
12:45pm

Everton
V
West Brom
3:00pm

Hull
V
Norwich
3:00pm

Newcastle
V
West Ham
3:00pm

Southampton
V
Sunderland
3:00pm

Stoke
V
Crystal Palace
3:00pm

Aston Villa
V
Liverpool
5:30pm
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