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Temperatures are forecast to plummet, but Carlo Ancelotti wants his Bayern Munich to turn up the heat at icy Freiburg on Friday when the Bundesliga resumes after the winter break. Temperatures are set to dip as low as minus nine degrees Celsius (15.8 Fahrenheit) for kick-off at Freiburg’s Schwarzwald Stadium when the German league resumes after the four-week break. Bayern lost on their last appearance at Freiburg, who stunned the visitors’ then-coach Pep Guardiola with a 2-1 win in May 2015 and Ancelotti wants no repeat. Back then, Bayern had already won the league and Freiburg were fighting to avoid the relegation which eventually saw them spend last season in the second division. Fast forward 20 months and Bayern arrive in south-west Germany three points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. They are chasing a fifth straight league title to extend their record dominance of Germany’s top flight. Ancelotti is in no mood to let low temperatures be a factor. “It will be...

Arsene Wenger fears the huge wages being offered by big-spending Chinese clubs could cause problems when the Premier League teams look to negotiate new contracts with their star players.  Wenger is currently locked in talks with Arsenal duo Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez as the pair reportedly seek parity with the best-paid players in the Premier League. The Arsenal manager is hoping for successful resolutions to those contract stand-offs, but he believes the money on offer in the China Super League may persuade the Premier League’s star names to ask for even bigger pay packets to stay in England. Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been linked with a move to China, with an offer of £600,000-per-week ($739,000) reportedly on the table for the Spain international. Two of his former Chelsea team-mates, Oscar and John Obi Mikel, have already moved to Super League outfits, while former Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez became the highest-earning player in the world when h...

According to DAILY TRUST, the Presidency has said that the wife of the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, is not in detention but merely keeping her husband’s company “in the apartment in which he is kept”.   A high ranking source in the Presidency who spoke anonymously said, “She is not under detention. it is her wish, to care for her husband. Upon his request on an occasion, the children joined them during Ramadan. That is what happened,” the official said.

Barely 24hrs after his epic rant on Snapchat that saw him fire his manager of many years, Kamal Ajiboye and call out Sony Music, HKN star, Davido has taken back his words and has employed a new manager. Davido who must have been following good intellectual advice that he can’t manage his music career himself has appointed little known Ayo George as his new manager. The singer’s outburst was obvious that something went wrong between the himself and his manager which he didn’t disclose other than saying he would be his own manager. Less than 24hrs later he has taken a U-turn already in what many believe is a good move if he wants to make any impact in the Nigeria music scene as he suggested in his Snapchat rant.

Manchester United’s relative failure on the pitch has not been reflected off it as for the first time in over a decade they top Deloitte’s Football Money League for revenue in the 2015/16 season. United — who were last on top in the 2003/04 campaign — earned record revenue of 689m euros (£515.3m, $736m) — and dislodged Champions League holders Real Madrid who have ruled the roost for the past 11 years. United’s topping of the revenue table — in a season where they failed to sparkle under Louis van Gaal in the league or the Champions League leading to him being sacked — is largely down to one thing according to Tim Bridge, Senior Consuiltant at Deloitte. “It is the commercial power of Manchester United that takes them to the top of the league,” he told AFP. More galling perhaps for Real is that despite passing the 600m euros barrier for the first time they also found themselves edged into third by bitter rivals Barcelona, who bettered them by just 100,000 euros — 620.2m euro...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared a Kastina-based businessman, Idris Usman, wanted for an alleged N1bn fraud involving the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme otherwise known as SURE-P. The suspect, who is the Managing Director, Idris Kwado and Sons Limited and Aminu Dikko and Sons Limited, was given a contract of N1bn by the immediate-past governor of Kastina State, Ibrahim Shema, who has been charged for an alleged N11bn fraud. The commission in a statement on Tuesday, said, “Alhaji Idris Kwado Usman, the Managing Director, Idris Kwado and Sons Limited and Aminu Dikko and Sons Limited, is a Katsina-based contractor wanted for complicity in the misappropriation of over N1bn SURE-P funds in Kastina during the tenure of former Governor Ibrahim Shema. “Usman, 49, is dark in complexion, hails from Katsina Local Government Area and had his last address as Kwado village, off Ring Road, Katsina.” SURE-P was a scheme established by the Fede...

The biopic is distributed by Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment and will feature newcomer Demetrius Shipp Jr. as Tupac Shakur. Tupac Shakur   biopic “ All Eyez on Me ” is finally on its way to theaters. The movie from Morgan Creek Productions is distributed by Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment and is set to be released on the late rapper’s birth date on June 16. The biopic follows the story of Shakur’s rise to stardom as a hip-hop artist, actor, poet and activist,   The Hollywood Reporter   reports. It will also feature Shakur’s imprisonment and his controversial time at Death Row Records. The movie’s title is named after Shakur’s fourth studio album which was released in 1996 and sold 10 million of the 75 million in total sales of Shakur’s albums. Newcomer Demetrius Shipp Jr. is set to portray Shakur in “All Eyez on Me”. Other cast members are including   Katerina Graham , Dominic Santana,   Hill Harper , Jamal Woolard, Keith Robinson and “ The Walking D...

Morocco has offered The Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh a golden opportunity asylum in return for accepting election defeat and stepping down, a local news website reported on Tuesday. Recall that Nigerian Bulletin reported that the House of Representatives in Nigeria had voted to grant the outgoing asylum. The small west African country has been plunged into political turmoil since Jammeh disputed president-elect Adama Barrow’s December election victory and refused to cede power. Deputy Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and the North African kingdom’s foreign intelligence chief Yassine Mansouri have been conducting “a delicate mission in Banjul”, the Gambian capital, for several days, Le Desk website reported. Morocco wants Jammeh “to accept his election defeat in return for a golden retirement in Morocco”, the website said. The initiative comes after an international outcry over Jammeh’s refusal to step down. The Moroccan foreign ministry did not immediately...

‘Hush Up the Silence’, which was leaked on Saturday, January 14, has been made ready for streaming and download on numerous online platforms. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has taken the first step to stop media from promoting the leaked new song by Wizkid   featuring   Drake . However, an email to Thenetng from IFPI stated in part, ‘ We have learned that your service is making available, distributing and/or referring/linking users to infringing copies of the following sound recordings, the copyrights in which are exclusively owned or controlled by one or more IFPI Represented Companies. We are asking for your immediate assistance in stopping this unauthorised activity.’

Vladimir Putin  scoffed at the now discredited dossier suggesting  Donald Trump  engaged in funny business in Russia ... but it didn't stop him from bragging about his country's prostitutes. Putin held a news conference in the Kremlin, throwing shade at the ex-British intelligence officer's so-called report. Putin said Trump's been surrounded by beauty pageant contestants for years, and ... "I find it hard to believe that he rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world." Bottom line? If you're into that sorta thing ... come to Russia! TMZNEWS

Antonio Valencia will stay at Manchester United until 2018 after the Premier League club triggered a one-year extension clause in his contract. Valencia has established himself as Jose Mourinho’s first-choice right-back and has now been rewarded with an extended stay at United. The 31-year-old is a key figure at Old Trafford, making 271 appearances, scoring 21 goals and winning six trophies since signing from Wigan in 2009. A statement from the club read: “Manchester United have confirmed a clause has been triggered to extend Antonio Valencia’s contract by one year, keeping the experienced Ecuadorian at Old Trafford until at least June 2018.” Valencia has made 23 appearances for United this term under Mourinho, who attempted to take him to Real Madrid during his time in Spain. “I tried to sign Antonio a number of years ago, when I was at Madrid,” Mourinho told MUTV earlier this season. “Even though he was not playing right-back at the time, I thought he could be phenome...

Daughter of late military Head of State, Sani Abacha, Gumsu Abacha took to social media to pay a touching tribute to her brother, Ibrahim Abacha. Late Ibrahim who was the first son of late Sani Abacha died in a plane crash on January 17,1996 along with 13 others. According to AP, the pilot was inexperienced and the plane was carrying too many people. Another reports meanwhile states that an engine problem might have been the cause of the crash. She shared a photo of him and wrote: “Ibrahim Sani Abacha. ..20 years today. Allah ya jikan ka da rahama. Amin. .. u will never be forgotten. .. I remember so well the last time i saw u and u were giving Inna a goodbye hug.. not knowing it was actually gonna be The Last Goodbye.” she wrote.

Neymar is the most valuable player in Europe - worth about £216m - according to a  new study  which values 10 players at more than 100m euros. The Barcelona striker is ahead of team-mate Lionel Messi, who is valued by academics at £149m. The only England players in the top 10 are Tottenham duo Harry Kane (worth £122m) and Dele Alli (£96m). Paul Pogba, who joined Manchester United for a record £89m in the summer, is worth £136.4m. The study has been carried out by a team of academics from the CIES Football Observatory, using a transfer value algorithm. They have calculated the value using criteria that includes player performance and characteristics, such as age and length of contract. Cristiano Ronaldo, the Ballon d'Or winner and Fifa's world's best player, is seventh on the list at £111m, with Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale 14th and valued at £73.8m, less than the £85.3m he cost the La Liga side in 2013. Pogba is the only player in the ...

West Ham have rejected a second bid from Marseille for France forward Dimitri Payet. The improved offer from the Ligue 1 side - reported to be £1m higher than an initial £19m bid - was turned down by Hammers chairman David Sullivan. The chairman is said to be taking a tough stance and refusing to be bullied into a quick sale, with the club having no financial need to sell. Manager Slaven Bilic  says Payet, 29, no longer wants to play for the club. Payet is not currently training with the first team and will continue to work with the under-23s. The Premier League club said they would prefer Payet to apologise to supporters and return to first-team training.

Six-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams progressed to the second round with a straight-set win over Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic. The American, 35, won 6-4 6-3 in one hour and 19 minutes against the 19-year-old in Melbourne on Tuesday. The world number two, who is chasing a record 23rd singles Grand Slam title, said she "has nothing to lose". "Every match I'm playing for fun. I get to travel the world and do what I do best - play tennis," she added. Williams will face Lucie Safarova in the second round after the 29-year-old Czech beat Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-1. Fifth seed Karolina Pliskova, who beat Williams in last year's US Open semi-final, is through after a 6-2 6-0 victory over Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo. "Even when you're not playing your best, somehow you have to win," said the 24-year-old. "I know I can be dangerous deep in the tournament, quarters and semis, and...

Valtteri Bottas faces the opportunity and challenge of his life following his  switch to Mercedes  for 2017. After four seasons of solid performances with Williams, the 27-year-old Finn has been rewarded with every driver's dream - a seat with the best team in Formula 1. Barring a remarkable slip in form for Mercedes, Bottas will morph from being an occasional podium visitor to a race-winner and possibly title contender this year. But in his new team-mate Lewis Hamilton, Bottas faces an adversary far  beyond anything he has experienced so far. How he measures up will likely define the rest of his career.

Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahmovic says the pressure on him that comes from outside is like a kindergarten compared to the pressure he places on himself every time he trains or plays for Manchester United. The 35-year-old striker — who has defied the sceptics who thought he was too old to flourish at United but has scored 14 goals in 20 Premier League appearances — said the pressure he placed on himself was so immense because nothing less than winning counted.   Ibrahimovic, who joined United in the close season last year after a hugely successful period at French champions Paris Saint Germain, scored United’s equaliser in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool which ended his side’s six match winning streak and leaves them 12 points behind leaders Chelsea.  “I think the pressure I have all around me is nothing compared to the pressure I put on myself,” said Ibrahimovic. “I really want to do not perfect, more than perfect, every game, even in training. I’m not happy if I don...

FIFA warned Liverpool on Monday they cannot play Joel Matip unless Africa Cup of Nations participants Cameroon give the Premier League title-chasers permission. The key central defender missed Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday amid a disagreement over his international status and he could be unavailable for the next month. Matip last year announced he no longer wished to be considered for selection by Cameroon and was not named in their Africa Cup of Nations squad. But the 25-year-old, who last played for Cameroon in September 2015, did figure in a preliminary squad list. In a statement a FIFA spokesperson told AFP that Liverpool had been directed to study article five of its rules.  It states that “a player who has been called up by his association for one of its representative teams is, unless otherwise agreed, not entitled to play for his club during the period for which he has been released, plus an additional period of five days”. That mea...

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and hosts Gabon vowed to put a poor start to their Africa Cup of Nations behind them and beat Burkina Faso on Wednesday in the second series of Group A matches. A “Panthers” team captained by the Borussia Dortmund star striker conceded a last-minute goal to only draw 1-1 with minnows Guinea-Bissau in the tournament opener. Former African Footballer of the Year Aubameyang put the home team ahead with a tap-in only for Juary Soares to nod the leveller off a free-kick. With four-time champions Cameroon held 1-1 by Burkina Faso later last Saturday, every team has one point and identical goal records going into the second round of group games. Gabon and Burkina Faso clash at 5:00 pm local time (1600 GMT) in the 40,000-seat Stade de l’Amitie in Libreville followed by Cameroon against Guinea-Bissau three hours later. Aubameyang knows he and his team-mates let supporters of the central African team down and has promised a better performance against oppon...

A stunning stoppage time winner from Stevan Jovetic ended Real Madrid’s Spanish record 40-game unbeaten run on Sunday as Sevilla scored twice in the final five minutes to win 2-1 at the Sanchez Pizjuan. Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty put Madrid in front 23 minutes from time, but Real captain Sergio Ramos’s own goal levelled before Jovetic, making his La Liga debut on loan from Inter Milan, curled home from 25 yards. Victory takes Sevilla to within two points of Real at the top of the table, but Madrid also have a game in hand.

 Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said Liverpool had come to Old Trafford with the aim of stifling his side following Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw between the teams. United, chasing a 10th successive win in all competitions, fell behind to James Milner’s first-half penalty and needed an 84th-minute Zlatan Ibrahimovic header to rescue a point. Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are the league’s top scorers with 49 goals, but Mourinho claimed their approach against United showed a different side to their game. “We were the team that attacked and Liverpool were the team that defended,” he told BBC Sport. “Let’s see if the critics are fair. I enjoyed it, but I will obviously be disappointed we didn’t get the three points. “They were clever. They took their time, they know how to play football and control the emotions of the game. They knew they would be in trouble in the final few minutes.” While Liverpool posed a steady threat on the counter-attack in the second hal...

Katsina State Government says it has spent N203 million to purchase some equipment to enable more than 500 youths to establish small-scale businesses after their skills acquisition programme. The equipment are for tailoring, poultry, welding, cosmetics production, carpentry and vehicle repairs. Gov. Aminu Masari disclosed this on Saturday in Kastina while distributing the equipment to beneficiaries under the state’s youth empowerment programme. “The state government has given the 500 youths three months training in fish, poultry farming, welding, carpentry, computer and business centre management.“Some female youths have also been trained in beads making, catering and restaurant management, juice and cosmetics making,” he said. On the second phase of the empowerment programme, Masari disclosed that the administration had purchased 15 salon cars for distribution to the 11 cooperative societies in the state. According to the governor, the empowerment of the youths had become ...