₦airaland Forum

City have made the Etihad Stadium a fortress this season, winning all seven home games in the top flight and scoring 29 goals in the process.

Manuel Pellegrini's side have also only conceded twice at home in the Premier League and come into the game on the back of a stunning 3-2 win at Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League.

Arsenal are five points clear at the top of the Premier League, though, and that advantage would have been even bigger if Everton winger Gerard Deulofeu had not popped up with a late equaliser at the Emirates Stadium last Sunday.

Arsene Wenger's charges suffered their first loss in seven games when Napoli beat them 2-0 in midweek, but they still qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League for the 14th season in a row.

The Londoners' reverse in Italy caused them to drop to second behind Borussia Dortmund in Group F, meaning they will face one of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern, Atletico Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in the first knockout round.

But Wenger has urged his players to put that disappointment behind them and concentrate on the race for the Premier League title.

"We have done our job now we will give absolutely everything on Saturday morning (at City)," said the Frenchman.

"We will see what comes out of the draw and will assess that in February, because a lot can change on both sides, on us and the team we play against, so we need to put that to the back of our minds now and focus on the championship."

Arsenal have lost only once on their travels in the top flight this season - at City's local rivals Manchester United last month.

Lukas Podolski could return to their squad after being sidelined since August with a hamstring injury, but Bacary Sagna (hamstring) is ruled out.

Aaron Ramsey will be expected to return to the starting line-up after being restricted to a substitute appearance against Napoli.

City come into the game brimming with confidence after coming back from 2-0 down to beat European champions Bayern at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.

That victory was not enough to secure top spot in Group D, but Pellegrini's men have now won five of their last six games in all competitions and know a victory over Arsenal would leave them just three points adrift of their opponents at the top of the Premier League.

Micah Richards sustained a hamstring injury against Bayern so will not feature on Saturday, and former Arsenal full-back Gael Clichy (foot) is a doubt.

Yaya Toure returns after being suspended for the trip to Germany, while Pellegrini must decide whether to give England goalkeeper Joe Hart another chance in the Premier League or keep faith with Costel Pantilimon.

I feel for the dead and their families. I wish they could return if possible but alas, I can only say RIP. On your hand we commit our lives and we pray not to encounter any form of accident as the year draws closer, amen oooooo.

psalm68: omo kekere tin se n kan la

Ojo omode sugbon oti gbo bi ile galili

Well said and infinity likes for this submission

ebucha: We African are the ones debasing ourselves. A french man can never insult a fellow french man for not speaking fluent spanish, but here, we so much glorify the queen of England that fluent English is misconstrued for intelligence. If Germans, the fastest growing economy in europe and china, the worlds fastest growing economy had dissipated much time on Flawless english, I doubt if they will be where they are today. I know my fellow country men will crucify me here for this statement, but as you type on your device, remember that 90% of the components of your device are mathematical derivatives/programmes.

Happy 36th birthday celebration little man

Again,when the chips are down,nothing will be heard about these numerous allegations.I think we aint serious in this country.For us to be taken seriously among the committee of nation,a life-imprisonment or death penalty should be put in place for anyone found wanting or looting the treasury.By that way,we would have made a statement but all this shouting wont take us anywhere.

eastman11: Obasajo is the major problem this country has, he has for the past two yrs been working against this govt and projecting Lamido to be president.
An old man who should promote peace just like Mandela is still playing dirty politics. His sins will soon catch up him.

Well said bro but do you know how difficult it was for most of us to vote Jonathan as President in the north at the last election?If you know,you would agree with me that Jonathan has really failed to keep his promises of delivering the dividends of democracy. OBJ might not a be saint but his tenure wasn't as worse as this.Jonathan,make somebody a scape goat!!!Allegation of corruption against your government is on the increase so much so that many are bittered.Act fast before its too late.

All contending issues with ASUU resolved- Wike
The Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike has disclosed that all contending issues between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government have been resolved.

He made the disclosure in a statement following his meeting with the leadership of the union on Wednesday.

He also lauded the patriotism and strong will demonstrated by members of the union to uplift the standard of education in the country.

The minister, who had earlier threaten members of the union with sack following their refusal to call off the over five months old strike in the country’s universities, stressed that ASUU want the best for the country.

According to him, “I am very pleased to announce that all contending issues between ASUU and the Federal Government have been resolved to the satisfaction of the parties. Let me emphasize that we recognize and appreciate ASUU’s patriotic role and commitment towards ensuring that our Universities are well-funded, resourced and run like their counterpart in other parts of the world. Thus, we are all partners in progress and there is no victor; no vanquished in the struggle of this nature for as long as our goals remain noble, not actuated by parochial interests, and targeted at moving our nation forward”.

He also assured that the Jonathan’s administration is serious about revitalizing all universities and will continue to fund them as a matter of priority.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/12/contending-issues-ASUU-resolved-wike/#sthash.FYcwM4sT.dpuf

[quote author=soul_glo]This is ridiculous. Look at his face like he knows what he is doing Crazy stuff[/quote]How can they fool the whole world ? Simply put, the dude is a fraud and he and his employers should be made to pay for this act.

click2cbn: Na Pidgin d man dey interpret for dem

A sign language interpreter is accused of making "meaningless gestures" as millions watched the Nelson Mandela memorial service.

Concerns over the male interpreter had been raised by deaf people watching the service at Johannesburg's FNB Stadium on Tuesday.

South Africa's deaf federation has claimed that an interpreter using sign language during the Mandela memorial was a "fake".

Concerns over the male interpreter had been raised by deaf people watching the service at Johannesburg's FNB Stadium on Tuesday.

Bruno Druchen, national director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa, said the unidentified man, who was on stage alongside world leaders including US President Barack Obama, "was moving his hands around but there was no meaning in what he used his hands for".
Mandela speech Sign language experts have said there was no meaning to the man's gestures

South African parliament member Wilma Newhoudt, a member of the ruling party, also said the man communicated nothing with his hand and arm movements.

Both Mr Druchen and Ms Newhoudt are deaf.

Mandela speech The revelation also raises concerns over security for world leaders

Three sign language experts said the man was not signing in South African or American sign languages.

South African sign language covers all of the country's 11 official languages, according to the federation.

Nicole Du Toit, an official sign language interpreter who also watched the broadcast, said the man on stage was an "embarrassment".
Mandela speech The man has not been identified

She said: "It was horrible, an absolute circus, really really bad.

"Only he can understand those gestures."

Delphin Hlungwane, an official South African sign language interpreter with DeafSA, said authorities were trying to track the man down.
Mandela speech The man also failed to indicate that the crowd was booing Jacob Zuma

She said: "There was zero percent accuracy. He couldn't even get the basics right. He couldn't even say thank you.

"You're supposed to indicate with your facial expressions, even if it's not an exact sign. He didn't indicate that (booing of Jacob Zuma) at all. It just passed him by.

"Nobody knows who he is. Even at this hour we still don't have his name."

Paul Breckell, chief executive of Action on Hearing Loss, said: "The use of appropriately qualified communication support is crucial to ensure that deaf people can engage with and access the same opportunities as hearing people.

"Sign Language, be it British, International or South African, is a visual and expressive language yet the limited number of signs, the amount of repetition, lack of facial expressions and huge gaps in translation meant that deaf or hard of hearing people across the world were completely excluded from one of the biggest events in recent history."

The memorial was also affected by faulty public transport which prevented some mourners from getting to the event and a faulty audio system that prevented some of the crowd from hearing leaders' speeches.

Source: www.news.sky.com

Since Attack Lion is on rampage, OBJ get ready

ROCE: Whilst the NFF must be given kudos for proper preparation of our teams (a factor for our recent successes) compared to past occurrences, the Federal Government must demand accountability from the federation before disbursing funds.

Unfortunately, you cant give what you don't have. Is FG accountable?

badmrkt: Fairly used brain needed for the OP!

Faily used brain wont help his matter

GustavoFring: I'm surprised he still has a congregation to preach to.

Any self respecting church member would have immediately got up and gone home as soon as he saw his pastor stroll in to preach guarded by a small army of black GI Joes.


I wonder if this pastor still leads his congregation in prayer for God's protection.

This dude is clearly wrestling against flesh and blood!!

This clearly shows he is not serving God. Since the god he serves can not protect him, the need to look elsewhere. The congregation might have been hypnotized into believing this Jerry-curled hair pastor otherwise, they should have looked elsewhere too.

he All Progressives Congress has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of using the Ecological Fund, set up to address the country’s serious ecological problems, as a tool to further divide the ranks of the nation’s governors and solidify his reputation as a partisan and sectional leader.
In a statement on Wednesday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Jonathan’s decision to grant N2bn each to 17 states, none of which belongs to the main opposition APC and all of which are controlled by governors deemed to be Jonathan’s supporters, underscored his profile as a sectional leader.
It wondered what kind of coincidence would exclude all the APC-controlled states from being considered of receiving assistance from the Ecological Fund, ”when we have it on good authority that our governors even sought such assistance”.

The party added, ”The N2bn assistance was given to Abia, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Gombe, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Ondo, Plateau, Ebonyi, Delta, Enugu and Taraba states.

”Before then, N5bn had been given to Akwa Ibom State, ostensibly for ‘urgent matters’ while N8bn was given to Anambra for the ‘maintenance of the Niger bridge’, in reality perhaps a slush fund for the stolen governorship election in the state.

”To the best of our knowledge, even if N8bn is not enough to construct a second Niger bridge, it will go a long way.
We are yet to see any maintenance to justify such a huge fund that was given for that purpose, further confirming our fears on what the real purpose of that money might have been.

”It is sad that a President, whose divisive politics helped to break the ranks of the nation’s state governors has now graduated to using funds from the Federation Account to dispense favours to governors he perceives to be his cronies.”
www.punchng.com

What factors were considered to choosing the best governor? Who are those in-charge of choosing the best governor? Anyway, congratulations to him . He has really done very well to an extent in Osun State , at least he has performed better than Bisi Akande and Olagunsoye Oyinlola .

[quote author=isale_gan2]About time people stop rating Mikel. Or is he not playing at all? [/quote]If he isn't good enough or doesn't have a good rating, I bet you he wont be playing for Mourinho's Chelsea. Despite is low scoring record, Mikel is still world-class . You need to watch the Ivory Coast vs Nigeria match at last AFCON and Nigeria Vs Uruguay at the Confederation Cup and you will bear with me that he still a force to reckon with. World cup will further prove that once again.

[quote author=KELVIN-XY]Dats touching..

I bet dis kinda miracle won't happen in Nigeria
,not wen calabar boys dey ur area
D rest na history [/quote]You didn't add Ondo State

aieromon: Please Lord,don't let me committ suicide because of David Moyes

You wont be the first and definitely not the last as so many die-hard fans had gone the same way.Alas,none of them were remembered.

aieromon: Please Lord,don't let me committ suicide because of David Moyes

You wont be the first as so may die-hard fans had gone the same way.Alas,none of them were remembered.

A woman is celebrating the return of her treasured family pet - more than nine years after the dog went missing.

Staffordshire bull terrier Niamh disappeared through a gap in the fence at Milissa Mae's home near Worcester in May 2004.

Despite a frantic search for the-then three-year-old pet, Niamh remained undiscovered and her owners had reluctantly resigned themselves to the fact that she was lost forever.

Then, last week, Mrs Mae received a phone call from an animal sanctuary in Salisbury, saying Niamh had been brought in after being spotted wandering the streets of the cathedral city, some 80 miles from her original home.

The dog, who was identified through her microchip, was reunited with her owner at the Bath Cats and Dogs Home and even staff at the shelter shed a tear when the dog appeared to recognise Mrs Mae.

Mrs Mae described the find as a "Christmas miracle".

"I know in my heart someone must have taken her," she said. "She is such a friendly thing, she would walk right up to anyone.

"She's gone a little deaf and a little grey but otherwise she's just the same."

She went on: "She was very thin but apart from that she's in surprisingly good condition, especially considering she's a 12-year-old dog.

"Someone has obviously been looking after her in the intervening years.

"I don't know how long she'd been wandering but she must have been in someone's care for at least some of those nine years."

Niamh is now back at home with the Mae family, and is getting on well with their other dog Ferdy, seven, and her granddaughter.
www.skynews.com

Nice concept and wish FRSC could go to interior villages to sensitize people using their local language to explain the importance of the ICE. They can also mount signposts in bus terminals/stations sensitizing people about the ICE.

We will never see the likes of Mandela again - Obama

IYA NGBALI: I'm in south africa now but no space in the airport to land my private jet,I am being accompained by farouk lawan,femi otedola,stealer oduan,iyabo obasanjo and dimeji bankole

I just pray this your abstract jet won't crash ooo. Na sins accompany you while South Africa believes in Saint Madiba.

50calibre: In a million years!! Do you want to tarnish the event? What's the bumbling buffoon going to say? Having him mount the podium will be comical because charity they say begins at home.

You are too harsh on the President . Slow down my brother .

50calibre: What Mandela stood for / represents, is completely alien to Nigeria.

Well said.

Kirk Franklin singing while Obama shook hands with dignitaries and about mounting the podium for his speech.

Airforce1: He think sey he go win

Why not? He didn't nominate himself, somebody choose him. He could just win it this time around.

The crowd is massive and I guess South Africa is hosting a World Cup Burial

Once again Nigeria’s Afrobeat icon Femi Kuti has been nominated in the Best World Music Album Category of the 56th Annual Grammy Awards which will place on the 14th of January next year.

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences releases the list for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards last week for recordings released during the Eligibility Year October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013.

Femi Kuti’s album ‘No Place For My Dream’ was nominated for the 2014 Grammy Awards in the “Best World Music Album” Category.

Femi Kuti of Nigeria , Indian musician Ravi Shankar, French group Gipsy Kings and South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo are in contention for award in this category

The last time he was nominated in 2012 Femi Kuti had said that he will never attend the Grammys again. And that if he wins let them bring it to him in Africa.

What we should all pray is that this award comes to Nigeria.

BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM
“Savor Flamenco” – Gipsy Kings
“No Place For My Dream” – Femi Kuti
“Live: Singing For Peace Around The World” – Ladysmith Black Mambazo
“The Living Room Sessions Part 2″ – Ravi Shankar

Read more via the link below:
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/12/femi-kuti-gets-4th-grammy-award-nomination/#sthash.p3MhBIJx.dpuf

brownlord: GEJ was the first then followed by OBJ, e be like na both of them follow come, cos after presido na GEJ, i think its time GEJ stop wearing this hat and jalabia, the tin don dey annoy me

So na OBJ you recognize as President, what of Jonathan? Guy, you bad gaaaaann

He is one of the finest in Africa but would be a lot greater if he could replicate his form in the next World Cup.