Kadiri Ikhana has resigned as coach of Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan, Nigeria. The former Enyimba handler has been on the sideline because of an undisclosed ailment told Goal that his decision to quit the Oluyole Warriors stands and would not rescind it. “My time with 3SC is up and I have written my resignation letter hinting about my desire to leave,” Ikhana told Goal. “I cannot continue in a club where my contractual agreement has been breached. I was told necessary things that would make my work successful would be provided but till now none was kept.” He also said that the players have been playing on empty stomach and that some of their awful results away from home were not true reflection of the players’ ability but that they were let down by the team’s lacked of direction. Reacting to this development, team’s general manager Rasheed Balogun stated that Ikhana remains in charge claiming he is doing all it takes to ensure that the team would get a facelift soon. 3SC got trounced 4-0 by Wikki Tourists in Bauchi on Sunday and are 18th on the NPFL log with 17 points from 17 matches. They face Abia Warriors in a must win home tie on Wednesday at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.

Sunday 15^th May, 2016:

Warri Wolves 2 – 0 Sunshine Stars

Wikki Tourists 4 – 0 Shooting Stars

Abia Warriors 1 – 0 Rivers United

Lobi Stars 2 – 0 Giwa

Enyimba 2 – 0 Ifeanyi Uba FC

Kano Pillars 0 – 0 Heartland

Akwa United 1 – 0 Nasarawa

Enugu Rangers 4 – 1 Ikorodu United

Plateau United 1 – 1 El-Kanemi Warriors

Chelsea manager-elect Antonio Conte has been cleared of any wrongdoing in a match fixing scandal from 2011. The 46-year-old, who will lead Italy at Euro 2016 next month, was accused of doing nothing to halt a scandal while in charge of Italian side Siena. However a judge in Cremona acquitted Conte because the accusations of sporting fraud were baseless. Conte, who served a ban in connection with the case in 2012, will take charge of Chelsea after the Euros.

Thousands of Australian aircraft enthusiasts have watched the world’s largest plane, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, arrive in Perth. The 84m-long plane, which weighs 175 tonnes without cargo or fuel, was transporting a 117-tonne generator. Traffic blocked roads on Sunday as crowds gathered to watch the plane’s arrival. The plane picked up its cargo in Prague and stopped at locations in the Middle East and Asia on its way to Australia.

Continue reading →

Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta and fellow midfielder Tomas Rosicky will leave the Premier League club when their contracts expire this summer. Arteta, 34, joined the club in 2011 and made 150 appearances, scoring 17 goals. Rosicky, 35, signed in 2006 and was given an award for 246 appearances and 10 years of service before the Gunners’ final-day win over Aston Villa. Manager Arsene Wenger described the pair as “two exceptional players and influences in the dressing room”.

West Ham have announced the free signing of midfielder Havard Nordtveit from Bundesliga side Borussia Moenchengladbach. The 25-year-old Norway international has signed a five-year deal and returns to London six years after leaving Arsenal to join Bundesliga side Borussia Moenchengladbach. Nordtveit played 187 games for the German side, scoring 12 goals. “It has always been a dream for me to play in the Premier League and now I have a big opportunity to do that for West Ham, I cannot wait to start,” he said. “This team has something special, a spirit in the team that I can fit into.”

Mauricio Pochettino said he suffered the lowest point of his managerial career as his Tottenham side fell to a 5-1 Premier League defeat at Newcastle. Spurs needed a point to finish second, and above Arsenal for the first time since 1995 – but failed as their north London rivals beat Aston Villa 4-0. Pochettino said: “I think today we showed that this wasn’t a team that had played well through the whole season. “I think this was my worst day as a manager in England or Spain.”

Arsenal Ladies have won the Women’s FA Cup after beating Chelsea Ladies 1-0 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. They won the trophy for the 14th time in front of a record crowd of 32,912 people. Danielle Carter’s goal in the 18th minute secured the win for Arsenal. Club captain Kelly Smith said: “The team were outstanding today, from the first minute to the last minute we really turned up. “We wanted the cup back and we’re really pleased with how the performance went.” Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala played shone brilliantly for Arsenal Ladies in the final and was unfortunate not to have scored in the 43rd and 61st minutes before she was replaced in the 88th minute.. The pace of Carter and Oshoala, complemented by the central figurehead of 37-year-old Kelly Smith as part of a three-pronged attack, ensured Arsenal had all the best chances and Chelsea’s defence struggled in the first half, with their experienced centre-half Niamh Fahey not fit enough to be more than a substitute.

Continue reading →