Friday brain teaser (How well do you know the EPL?)

Hey guys, just thought this would be interesting for Friday.
Can you answer the following questions correctly?

1. Oldest squad in the Premier League?
2. Player to have spent the most number of seasons at a Premier League club?
   
3. Player to have played for most number of clubs in Premier League?
   
4. Youngest squad in the Premier League?
5. Most common foreign nationality in Premier League?
6. Premier League club with most number of foreign players?
7. Premier League club with most home-based players?
8. Shortest player in Premier League?
9. Tallest player in Premier League?
10. Fattest player in Premier League?

Lets see how much you know about the Premier League players...
Good luck guys....
I will publish the answers next week, hopefully y'all would have answered the questions correctly.

EPL.....

I just love the drama the EPL brings every weekend.
I feel for the Blues this past weekend, not just because they lost but their home record of four years was brought to an end by Liverpool. It must be sad to lose at home and losing to one of their biggest rival is more devastating.
Another big news in the EPL this past weekend is about Harry Redknapp, now the former manager of Portsmouth (yeah, it came as a shock to me too). I thought he was all settled in Portsmouth and he once said he is loyal to the Club. But thinking he left his loyalty behind for £5m, hmnn, I really don't blame him. But Portsmouth are doing well in the EPL and I know the Pompey fans and players must be sad to see him go. He is now a manager to Tottenham Hotspurs after Spurs sacked manager Juande Ramos. Finally Spurs won their first game of the season yesterday. Lets hope they have a positive change. And good luck to Harry.

Here are the results from the EPL........
Chelsea 0 1 Liverpool
Wigan 0 4 Villa
Spurs 2 0 Bolton
Man City 3 0 Stoke (Robinho scores an hat-trick)
West Ham 0 2 Arsenal
Portsmouth 1 1 Fulham
Everton 1 1 Man Utd
Sunderland 2 1 Newcastle (though Newcastle lost, Shola Amoebi has found his scoring boots)
West Brom 0 3 Hull City (More respect each week for the newly promoted Hull)
Blackburn 1 1 Middlesbrough

The top four this week are: Liverpool, Chelsea, Hull and Arsenal. While Spurs still sits at the bottom of the table.

The Verdict.....
Guys, it's getting interesting. What do you think? Drop a line lets hear what your verdict is on the EPL.
Stay tuned and see you soon.
The Verdict.

Chinedu Obasi on fire......

Last week I wrote an article on Obasi and Nsofor doing us proud. This week I have all the reason to dedicate this article to Chinedu Obasi, one of my favorite players.
Edu is on fire and the way this guy is going, I bet he will become a world class striker in no time.
Yesterday's game showed Edu is a talent and a world class striker.
He scored a brace for his Club Hoffenheim, both goals were world class. He really worked the ball, beating defenders and the goal keeper.
Hoffenheim won the game by 3 goals to Nil and that puts them at the top of the table in the German Bundesliga.
Hoffenheim has done so well so far this season, they were promoted to the Bundesliga this season.
I guess a lot of people were shocked to see Hoffenheim hammered Hamburg 3 - 0 and with that great result, they are now at the top of the table.
All kudos must go to our very own Obasi, I pray he continues this way.
If you missed the game, you can see the highlights of the goals via this link...http://www.mightyfootball.com/category/german-bundesliga/

The Verdict....
Guys, over to you. What do you think of our very own Obasi? Where do you want to see him play next season?
Drop a line..
Stay tuned.
The Verdict.

NPL.....

Hello guys, hope you had a good weekend. I had a brilliant one.
Here are the results from the NPL.....
Bayelsa Utd 3 0 Akwa Utd
Sunshine Stars 1 0 Lobi Stars
Heartland 1 0 Rangers
Gombe Utd 2 1 Enyimba
Warri Wolves 2 0 FC Abuja
Zamfara Utd 1 0 Sharks
Kaduna Utd 0 0 Juth FC
Tornadoes 1 0 Nasarawa Utd
Kano Pillars 1 0 Wikki Tourists
Gateway 0 1 Ocean Boys

Bayelsa United sits at the top of the table, while FC Abuja are at the bottom of the table with just 2 points.

The Verdict.....
Guys, what's your verdict on the NPL? Drop a line.
Stay tuned.
The Verdict.

2010 Qualifying Draw...

Finally the qualifying draw for 2010 World Cup has been announced.
I was praying for Nigeria not to have tough oppositions, and I know most of you joined me in that prayer.
The real test is now. The Super Eagles must go all out to qualify for the World Cup, there is no excuse. Nigerians and football lovers are waiting. I'm already planning on making reservation for my ticket and accomodation and I'm sure most of you are ready to storm South Africa.
The real test is here for Amodu and the players. The preparation needs to start now. I expect to see a lot of friendly games. More players should be tested, we need to have a lot of options.
There should be no sentiments in selecting players.
I wish the Super Eagles and Nigerians good luck in the final qualifying round.

Here are the fixtures.....

Group A: Togo, Cameroon, Morocco, Gabon

Group B: Mozambique, Nigeria, Kenya, Tunisia (our group)

Group C: Rwanda, Algeria, Egypt, Zambia

Group D: Ghana, Benin, Sudan, Mali

Group E: Guinea, Malawi, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire

The Verdict.....
So guys, that's it...It's here...What country do you think have the easiest group? (Don't forget right now in football, no country can be underestimated).
What's your verdict on this draw? I kind of like our group, but Tunisia...hmnn!
Drop a line!
See you soon and stay tuned.
The Verdict!

What is right in NFF?????

By now, I know y'all must have read the article about Obasaki's statement concerning the physical assault on Mr Ikhana.
I wrote an article on hoodlums attacking the respected Mr Ikhana and some of you guys gave your verdicts and said such should not be accepted.
I thought that is the right thing to say about such ludicrous behaviour. But I was shocked when I read what the chairman of NFF said on air, I quote him......
" Does slapping mean beating?" For a second, I thought I didn't see properly, but had to read and re-read the line.
How pathetic? How can a man like Obaseki utter such demeaning words? When did they include slapping as a treatment for managers?
I begin to question the integrity of people that are called leaders. Lead by example, that is what people say.
Slapping does not mean beating...gosh!!!
Physical assault is wrong, and again I mean so so wrong and should not be encouraged in any way.
NFF is growing and we do want to see positive change and not negative. Physical assault in our League should not be encouraged, it brings negative image.
Can someone tell Obaseki that a slap can cause damages; it can cause temporary deafness, if the fingers get in the eyes, can cause blindness. Have heard news about people meeting their untimely death through a slap. Oh yes, just a slap.
I really do not know what Obaseki wanted to see before he agrees Mr Ikahana was physically assaulted; a blind man? a man with broken ribs? or a paralysed man? because I do not get it.
Permit me to say, Obaseki let NFF down and this disgraceful statement shows he is incompetent to be a leader.
I expect an apology to Mr Ikhana and Nigerians from NFF and Obaseki.
What happened to morals? What happened to protecting the lives of players and managers?
Is there some kind of politics going on here? I know Mr Ikhana does not support corruption and he always points it out in NFF.
Maybe Obaseki has some personal issues with Mr Ikhana?
But he showed the kind of person he is by saying what I will call rubbish. He didn't stop there, he threatened to ban Mr Ikhana and Sharks, accusing them of trying to bring the League down.
We are not fools and we know clearly who is trying to bring our League down.
Encouraging hooligans and hoodlums in our League is a negative sign and saying on air "slapping is not beating" is taking side with hoodlums.
We need God fearing people. True leaders that care for their followers.
It brings me to the question....What is right in NFF?
Maybe a slap on Obaseki's face will be right? Maybe he can only tell the difference when he feels it, so I'm thinking, the hoodlums that slapped Mr Ikhana, should go after Obaseki and beat him, after that, then slap him, in that way, it will be clear in his mind and he will be able to explain once more on air the difference between slapping and beating. What do you guys think?

The Verdict...
I know you all are gutted and so angry. Feel free to pass your verdict. I'm really short of words, but I know you all have something to say. We will continue to protect our pride, and the way to start is to voice out. So drop a line.
See you soon and stay tuned.
The Verdict.

The Pride of the beautiful game....

Hello guys, hope you all had a great weekend. For me, I had a very good one and I watched some interesting football.
I'm so excited that my favourite U-23 boys are making the whole country proud in their respective Clubs.
I remembered when Obinna Nsofor's Everton deal fell through, and he had to return back to Inter Milan. The poor lad was devastated, like every human will be. But a lot of us believe he will succeed at Inter. I remembered one of my articles on him, and how the comments were so encouraging. I knew he will break into the first team in no time. The young lad is hard working and so humble.
Watching him play last night from the start of the game and scoring a brilliant goal, I couldn't help but to thank God for him.
I love Jose Mourinho, and he will always be a great manager. He gives youngsters a chance to prove themselves, and I must commend him in believing in Obinna. To think he gave him a chance in a big game is something we should be proud of. In Seria A, Inter V Roma is like comparing Man Utd v Chelsea or Arsenal V Man Utd in the EPL.
But I must say Obinna earned it, the first time he was given a chance to play towards the end of a game, he did so well and even hit the bar with a wonderful strike. Mourinho saw that and commended him on his effort. And now he is a contender for a regular place in the Inter first eleven. I am so proud of him and I know you all are too.

Another powerful striker, the one I know people will start comparing to Ronaldinho very soon, is Chinedu Obasi. Watching these lads play, I just feel so happy that our Super Eagles will go back to the Super Eagles we knew in '94. The Amokachi's, The Oliseh's , The Yekini's.....just to mention a few.
Obasi scored a very good goal this past weekend and he has become a regular in his Club. His Club Hoffenheim occupies the second spot in the Bundesliga (German League).

I hope people now understand the reason we were asking Amodu to invite these players to the Super Eagles squad. They are the future of Super Eagles. Their drive, passion and motivation for the game puts a smile on my face and it brings back good memories.

Also, though not a Nigerian, but African, The Ivory Coast and Chelsea player, Salomon Kalou is another talent, and he is a player to watch out for this season. His brace this weekend helped Chelsea with their 5-0 win against Middlesbrough.

Just as we know, the young shall grow! These talents from Africa are our pride

The Verdict....
Guys, what's your verdict on this? I know you have something to say. Drop a line and lets have your verdict.
See you later and stay tuned.
The Verdict

Super Eagles so Super......

Hello friends, hope y'all had a good weekend. I had a relaxing one, my job is so tasking now and I'm trying to cope with the pace...ha ha! Does that sound like what a footballer will say? Oh well, I'm not one.
Wow...what a performance by the Super Eagles this past Saturday! They did so well, I can say that was their best performance so far, do you guys agree with me?
Amodu did so well with the selection and the U-23 boys showed they are ready to take the shirts from the tired legs.
People wont stop talking about Yobo's own goal. I think we should forgive him, he has been a pillar of support for the Super Eagles. I just hope he is not going through some personal problems, he seems to be losing concentration. I pray he gets back to his best form, we need him, so does Everton.
Now we have successfully crossed the first hurdle excellently, it is time to fasten our seat belts and face the second round with all we have got.
It will get tougher, but with determination and hard work, we will surely excel. Not forgetting inviting the right players.

BTW.....
The NPL is getting more interesting, this past weekend saw Kaduna United ending their 100% record. Sharks defeated them by a goal, but Kaduna still sit at the top of the table.
Other results are:
Heartland 1 0 Akwa
Gombe 1 0 Lobi
Gateway 1 0 FC Abuja
Wolves 2 0 Tornadoes
Kano 1 0 Nasarawa
Bayelsa 1 0 Ocean Boys
Sunshine Stars 1 1 JUTH FC

And the most crazy thing that happened in the NPL this past weekend was hoodlums beating up Mr Ikhana. When will some stupid illiterates learn they cant take laws into their hands. That is someone's father. What if they had killed him in that crazy way. This was after a win, I still cant comprehend this. I heard he is in a critical state, I pray he gets out of it alive. Please let us all pray for his quick recovery.
I hope the law catches up with these hoodlums cos they must be punished.

The Verdict....
So guys, what's your verdict on these issues:
a) The Super Eagles
b) NPL
c) Mr Ikhana's attack
I'm sure you have a lot to say, drop a line and give your verdicts.

See you soon and stay tuned.
The Verdict.

Super Eagles.....

Hello guys, we all know the Super Eagles are getting ready for their next game against Sierra Leone this Saturday!
At the moment, all invited players are in camp.
But the Mikel controversy is still everywhere. Guys, I know a lot of you have your opinion on this subject, but if you may ask me, I will say the intent behind this decision by NFF was meant to be a good one, but the player in question still needs to win his fans over after letting them down in the past.
I do not care if this game is not important, and I don't know why some people will say a game is not so important. No matter what game you play, all games are important, even friendly games are important because it shows how motivated players are and this particular game is a qualifier, and it is damn important, whether we have qualified or not!

The NFF let themselves down once more, of course on a compassionate ground, there can be mutual understanding. But lets not forget we have other players playing in the same league as Mikel, and this can be a good reason to hold on to players when we are in dire need of them.
We have seen it a number of times, when FIFA has to be involved in giving Clubs orders to release players on national duty.

Players should have equality, and when NFF starts making players feel inferior, then we are in for trouble. Think about players coming all the way from Russia, I need to say kudos to Osaze Odemwingie, he is never found wanting, and I am sure Nigerians will understand if the need comes for him to be excused.
I can't start listing players that are committed to the national duty, we know them and when they need to be excused, we will understand.

Don't get me wrong, I do not have any problem with Mikel, but I am beginning to question his commitment to the national duty. Even when he is injured, he still finds time to go clubbing, he can as well join his team mates in camp and not play, at least we will understand.

I will keep repeating this, we need not to beg players to play for their country. Allow them do whatever they want to do, but I am sure one day in their career, they will need their country, and then we would ask, "What have you done for your country?".

England has already set a standard for players wanting to play in the English league, we all know you must have a particular number of caps for your country before a player can be granted work permit. I'm sure in the near future, such a decision will not be limited to the English League but it will stand in the world of football.

Amodu & Co should not sell their birth right, it is difficult to see other managers or country's federation lobbying around Club managers or players. We need to have a standard, and we must not go below that standard!

The Verdict.....
Guys, I know you have a lot to say. What's your verdict on this matter? What formation are you hoping to see in Saturday's game?
Drop a line!
See you soon and stay tuned!
The Verdict.

EPL getting interesting.....

After 7 games, the EPL is getting more interesting and unpredictable. The newly promoted Clubs are sure living up to the expectations of playing in the Premier League.
Hull City did it again this past weekend, they defeated Tottenham. They are sure flying, remember they defeated Arsenal at home and drew with Chelsea, way to go. They are 3rd on the table with 14points in 7 games, very good start! What do you guys think?
Meanwhile, it is Tottenham's worst start of the season in the past 92yrs. They have only managed 2 points in 7 games, that's really bad!
Liverpool did so well, coming back from 2 goals down to win Man City by 3 -2, that is the spirit of true champions!
Talking about champions, Chelsea showed their class in their game against Aston Villa! They have managed to keep their home record intact in 4yrs! They are still at the top of the table!
Man Utd are back to their winning ways! Wayne Rooney has put his scoring boots back on! They defeated Blackburn Rovers by 2 goals.
I know the Gunners are not happy, Sunderland did not allow them take the whole 3 points, they drew and now are 4th on the table. Not so bad? Gunners make una no vex o!
I was really touched watching the struggling Newcastle United fight for a point with Everton, they did so well to equalise after they were 2 goals down. I hope they solve their crisis!
Bolton really went all out to defeat West Ham, they won by 3 goals to 1.
The newly promoted West Brom also made a mark by defeating Fulham.
And it was a win for Harry's boys, Portsmouth also put the misery they suffered few weeks back behind them by defeating the newly promoted Stoke City. Guess the partnership of Defoe and Crouch is now gelling.
Middlebrough grabbed an away 3 points at Wigan.
After 7 games, the top four are:
Chelsea
Liverpool
Hull City (Don't be surprise)
Arsenal
and still sitting at the bottom of the table is Tottenham

The Verdict.....
So guys, EPL for you. What do you guys think? Getting interesting, yes?
Drop a line, talk about your favourite team.
See you soon and stay tuned!
The Verdict.

NPL........

Hello guys, hope y'all had a good weekend, I did have a great one.
An update on some of the games played over the weekend in the NPL.
Wow, Kaduna United is still going strong with their 100% record and they are still on top of the table. They defeated FC Abuja by 2 goals.
Nasarawa United ended Rangers 100% record by 2 goals. Akwa United defeated Gombe United by 3 goals, things are getting interesting.
In other games:
Kano Pillars 2 0 Warri Wolves
Tornadoes 0 0 Zamfara United
Wikki Tourists 2 1 Gateway
JUTH FC 2 1 Heartland
Sharks 1 1 Bayelsa United

The top 4 after four games are:
Kaduna United
Rangers
Bayelsa United
Warri Wolves
And sitting at the bottom of the table is Niger Tornadoes.

Btw.... Enyimba played a goal less draw with Egypt Al Ahly at home in the CAF Champions league semi-final first leg.

The Verdict....
Guys, that's the update, what's your verdict on this. Drop a line!
See you later and stay tuned.
The Verdict

Friday afternoon gossip.....

Hey guys, how are you doing? You must all know I'm fully back to blogging. It feels good though!
I remember I promised to bring you some juicy gossip about players off the pitch!
Today's gossip is on Carlton Cole....the Nigerian born, West Ham player.
Remember NFF making the mistake of including him in the Super Eagles when he is not eligible to play for Nigeria.
Anyways, this is him behaving badly, enjoy the gossip..ha ha

Carlton Cole has been fined by West Ham after he was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving in central London during the early hours of Tuesday morning (23/09/08). The 24-year-old forward, who is now on bail and must report to a police station in November, has also received a stern warning from his manager that any repeat behaviour will not be tolerated.
"Obviously I am very disappointed," said Gianfranco Zola. "I have spoke to him [Cole] and he is sorry about being out at such a time, he realises it wasn't the right thing to do, and knows he will now receive a club fine.
"To be a top footballer it is vital you look after yourselves. I can accept certain things but I will not accept players not looking after their bodies. Our training sessions are very demanding and the players need to be 100% fit for them, so they cant afford to go out and stay late."
Cole's indiscretion is something of a personal disappointment for Zola as he mentored the former England Under-21 when they were playing together at Chelsea.
Zola insists, however, that he is prepared to move on and firmly believes Cole has the character to learn from this error in judgement.
"The player understands he has made a mistake so for me it is no longer a problem," said the Italian. "Carlton is definitely a changed player, this is not the same Carlton that was at Chelsea with me. He is now more mature and knows he has a great chance to make a big impact, not only for his club but also at national level. I am sure he will take it."
The Verdict...
Guys, what do you think? Anyways, footballers are human and they must behave badly once in a while but when it gets too much, then it is unacceptable!
The Verdict is watching, so footballers be careful....ha ha
Drop a line guys and do have a wonderful weekend. I will sure do watching football as usual.
Stay tuned.
The Verdict.

Champions League......

I'm excited to bring you guys the news from the Champions League. Some small Clubs are really shocking me with their great performance! (Am I allowed to say "small"). Maybe, cos we do not really hear much about them! Guess y'all know what I am talking about!
Here are the results from the Champions League:

AaB 0 3 Man Utd (Berbatov has opened his scoring record, he got a brace in this game)
Arsenal 4 0 Porto (Adebayor and Van Persie shared the goals, brace for both of them)
BATE Borisov 2 2 Juventus (that's what I'm talking about)
Bayern Munich 1 1 Lyon (Another good draw)
Fenerbahce 0 0 Dynamo Kiev (and yet another draw)
Fiorentina 0 0 Steaua Bucharest (isn't this getting more interesting with so many draws)
Villarreal 1 0 Celtic
Zenit St Petersburg 1 2 Real Madrid (van Nistelrooy on goal for Real and Real's 1st goal was o.g)
Anorthosis Famagusta 3 1 Panathinaikos (Famagusta, ain't you guys like hmnn?)
Atletico Madrid 2 1 Marseille
Bordeaux 1 3 Roma (Bordeaux gave Roma a scare, Roma equalised at the 64th min, then ...)
CFR Cluj-Napoca 0 0 Chelsea (CFR is the Club to watch out for,won Roma, Drew with Chelsea)
Inter Milan 1 1 Werder Bremen ( I actually thought Inter was going to win this game, oh well!)
Liverpool 3 1 PSV Eindhoven (I'm sure Liverpool fans are happy)
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 2 Barcelona (Messi's late double strike, sealed the victory for Barca)
Sporting Lisbon 2 0 Basle
So guys, these are the results of the Match 2 of Champions League.
The Verdict....
I know it' s getting interesting. So what's your verdict? Who will qualify for the second round? How far will the "Big" Clubs go?
I know you guys can't wait to discuss this, especially the Gunners and Red Devils. Barca fans sure have something to say and Liverpool fans.
Drop a line....
See you soon!
The Verdict

NPL...what's new?

I know you guys already heard about the passing away of the great sport caster Yinka Craig, this is just paying my own respect to him on this blog. We all know he was so good at what he did. Please join me in saying "Rest in Peace Yinka Craig". I pray God comforts his loved ones, family and us sport lovers (Amen).
Back to football...The NPL is on and Kaduna and Rangers are mataining their excellent record. It is so good to see Kaduna topping the table. Tornadoes are at the bottom of the table with no point from 3 games. wow....guess things are getting interesting all over the world of football.
Haven't heard much about sponsorship deals for the Clubs in the NPL, but it is interesting to know Heartland spent $200,000 on players for this season (I never knew Clubs in the NPL have such money). Guess that is a way to go for the NPL. Injecting foreign players to our Clubs will bring international recognition to the NPL.
Let me give you the top 5 in the NPL after 3 matches;
Kaduna United
Rangers
Warri Wolves
Sunshine Stars
Gombe United
Does this surprise you? I was hoping Enyimba will be among the top 3! I just love football, sometimes it is unpredictable.

Football can bring out craziness in some people, did you guys hear about some hoodlums who attempted to attack Ihkana..na wa o!
The best way to show you are upset about a loss is to discipline the manager...ha ha! The crazy world we live in. I'm glad they couldn't get to him and they were arrested. Who knows what they had in mind, that's someone's father. Haba my people, lets have the fear of God!
Another sad news, heard the former chairman of the board of Shooting Stars Football Club, Chief Femi Olukanmi is dead, May his soul rest in prefect peace and once again may God give his family and loved ones and also us football lovers the strength to bear this great loss (Amen).
Guess I tried abi? If you have news about NPL, please send them to me. It is our blog, so everyone is welcome to contribute to it.
The Verdict......
So guys, lets have your verdict on the NPL! What's going on? What needs to be done? Drop a line.
See you soon and stay tuned.
The Verdict

I'm Back.................

For real, I must say a big thank you to all my readers, y'all are so amazing, reading all your messages, I just wanted to get back to blogging.
I'm so strong now, and I can't wait to start blogging.
Where do I start? A lot has been happening and I will try and catch up on all our footie gist.
This is just a short note to get us back to business and to say I really appreciate all your messages.
Now I know you love this blog, with all the messages I got in my email, I hope y'all will start leaving comments on my articles. Never knew I had that much fan base...ha ha!
Lets get back to business!
Stay tuned!