Jose Mourinho Full Of Action….Ignores The Media

 

It hasn’t been a very busy week at Real Madrid in terms of talking to the public. Nobody has spoken and this imposed silence hit its peak yesterday afternoon. José Mourinho didn’t even speak at the official pre-Spanish Cup Final press conference. He didn’t send his second in command, Aitor Karanka to take his place either. But then, they don’t have to. La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation don’t impose fines for that. To avoid adding more fuel to the fire, Mou opted instead to remain quiet. It’s very clear that, for better or for worse, the manager cannot hold his tongue even when he is facing the last and only trophy that he can win this season. The Portuguese has been hot under the collar for a while now and knows that if he sits in front of a press conference he will continue to offer his version of events no matter what the consequences, even if his words harm the squad or the club. There are too many fires 24 hours before the game and it’s better to leave them blazing in the background. That’s why the coach decided not to show his face. Sergio Ramos said that the club had asked him, as second captain, to face the media. “There is nothing that I cannot answer. I’m one of the team’s captains”, he justified. However, the gulf between Mou and the rest of the squad is no secret. Mou didn’t even go to the Bernabéu to get on the team bus with the rest of the squad. He went straight to the team’s hotel on his own.

Ghost Mode:8 Year Old Boy Marries 61 Year Old Woman in Zimbabwe As Directed by his Ancestors

An eight-year-old schoolboy has married a 61-year-old woman because the ghost of his dead ancestor told him to.

Sanele Masilela tied the knot with Helen Shabangu, who is already married and a mother-of-five.

The boy, from Tshwane, South Africa, said he had been told by his dead ancestors to wed and his family, fearing divine retribution, forked out for a wedding.

They paid £500 for the bride and a further £1,000 for the big day, which was organised in just two months.

Eight-Year Old Sanele Masilela walks down the aisle with his 61-year-old bride Helen Shabangu at their wedding ceremony in Tshwane, South Africa

Ceremony: The schoolboy kisses his 61-year-old bride, who is already married and a mother of five. He said he had been told to tie the knot by his ancestors

Dressed in a bow tie and tiny silver suit, little Sanele, the youngest of five children, exchanged rings in front of 100 guests and even puckered up for a kiss.

It’s already shocked the community but the family has defended the ceremony, saying it was just a ritual and not legally binding.

 Sanele’s 46-year-old mum, Patience Masilela said: ‘This is the first time this has happened in the family.

‘Sanele is named after his grandfather, who was never had a white wedding before he died so asked Sanele to get married. He chose Helen because he loves her.

‘By doing this we made the ancestors happy. If we hadn’t done what my son had asked then something bad would have happened in the family.

‘I didn’t have a problem with it because I know it’s what the ancestors wanted and it would make them happy.’

With this ring: The boy’s family say the wedding was simply a ritual and not recognised in law

The widow, who works at a recycling centre, added: ‘I would say that this is not wrong.

‘Sanele was fine and he was happy about the ceremony and it was what he wanted. He was happy to get married and very excited.’

Sanele and his bride did not sign a marriage certificate and do not have to live together. Both have gone back to their normal lives.

Sanele today said he hoped he would have a proper wedding to a woman his own age when he was older.

He added: ‘I told my mother that I wanted to get married because I really did want to.

The big day: Mrs Shabangu is already married and has five children with Alfred, a builder

‘I’m happy that I married Helen – but I will go to school and study hard.

‘When I’m older I will marry a lady my own age.’

Despite being old enough to be his grandmother, bride Helen, whose children are aged between 37 and 27, was happy with the arrangement.

Helen, who also works at a recycling centre, said: ‘I’m married and have five kids of my own, but I know that this is what the ancestors wanted – and now they are happy.

‘It is a ritual. We are just playing now, but it is a sign that he will get married one day.’

Her husband of 30 years, Alfred, 65, said: ‘My kids and I are happy.

‘We don’t have problems with it but some of the community members were shocked.’

The couple pose in traditional costume. The £1,500 cost of the wedding included £500 for the bride

Given away: Sanele walks to his wedding with his mother as people look on. The ceremony shocked some people in the community

Arsenal Kid,Jack Wilshere To Miss Bayern Show-Down

Jack Wilshere

Arsenal have been dealt a blow with the news that Jack Wilshere will be sidelined for three weeks with an ankle injury.

Wilshere, who is reportedly recuperating in Dubai, has been in excellent form since making his return from a long-term ankle injury this season, starting 18 of their Premier League matches.

But the midfielder, 21, is struggling with an inflamed ankle, meaning he will be out for the forthcoming games against Bayern Munich and Swansea, and also the England matches versus San Marino and Montenegro.

Wenger is quoted by the Mirror as saying: “Wilshere has an inflamed ankle, the other ankle. He will be out for Bayern, Swansea and for England.

“Hopefully for the Premier League, he will only miss one game because of the international break. I noticed recently he has had to dig deep for us, it’s not welcome for us but he needed a breather.

“But it’s more preventative. We trust our people who are specialists.”

Wenger also offered a further update on his team news ahead of their Champions League last-16 second leg against Bayern, with Bacary Sagna ruled out and Abou Diaby facing a late fitness test.

“Kieran Gibbs is back in the squad. Sagna is not available. Diaby is in the squad and will have a test this morning. He may be short but hopefully will travel,” he added.

 

Gennaro Gattuso To Retire From Playing,Heads For Coaching Course

Gennaro Gattuso

The 35-year-old midfielder says he is planning to call it a day on his playing career this summer and reveals his plans to begin coaching full-time

Former AC Milan and Italy legend Gennaro Gattuso says he will retire from the game in the summer in order to focus on his coaching ambitions.

The 35-year-old is currently at Swiss outfit FC Sion, but the veteran has said he will call time on an illustrious 18-year playing career in June.

In February this year, the World Cup winner was appointed player/coach for the Swiss club following a series of poor results and, speaking to Tuttusport, Gattuso revealed the decision to quit is linked with an ambition to embark on a coaching career.

“I think I will have another match but it will be my swan song. In June I will finally hang up my boots and dedicate myself to my new career,” he said.

And having played under some of the game’s most decorated figures, Gattuso believes he is well-equipped to make a successful transition from life on the pitch to life in the dugout.

“Let’s just say that I feel I have the ambition and determination to succeed as a coach. I have been compared with Antonio Conte and it is an honour to be compared with him. I would love to enjoy the same success he has had as a coach,” he added.

“There are many similarities between us and we both had, among other things, [Marcello] Lippi and [Carlo] Ancelotti as coaches. They were my teachers.”

Meanwhile, Gattuso turned his attentions to former club Milan as they prepare to face Barcelona in the last-16 stage of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Gattuso said: “I will sit in front of the TV and savour the big game alongside some of my former classmates. Prediction? I would take a 3-1 defeat.”

FC Sion, who currently sit fourth in the Swiss Super League, travel to the capital on Sunday for a clash with Young Boys.

Unknown Nigerian Midfielder Hope Akpan signs For Reading In England

Hope Akpan Unveiling

Crawley Town midfielder Hope Akpan has become Reading FC‘s second signing of the January transfer window.

The 21-year-old signed a three-and-a-half-year contract at the Madejski Stadium today, just days after coming up against the Royals in Saturday’s FA Cup third round tie.

The transfer fee is believed to be in the region of £300,000.

Akpan came through the youth system at Everton before joining Crawley on a free transfer in June 2011, where he went on to score eight goals in 60 appearances.

Manager Brian McDermott said: “I’m delighted to have signed Hope, we have known all about him for a very long time.

“He has a great pedigree coming through the ranks at a top Premier League side in Everton. There were a lot of clubs in for him during this window but once he heard of our interest this was the only place he wanted to play.

“He’s 21 and is a player we feel can play at this level.”

He added: “He’s played more than 50 games for Crawley already, and any of our fans at the game on Saturday will have seen the qualities he brings. He is hungry and will be very committed to our cause.

“We’re delighted to get him and I know our fans will give him every support in his time here.”

The six-footer made a second half appearance as the Royals beat QPR 3-1 in a friendly this afternoon, with fellow new signing Daniel Carrico also playing in midfield.

Reading’s director of football Nick Hammond said: “It is very important we continue to identify and develop young players that we feel can play at this level, both from our own academy and also from outside the club.

“We are delighted to have signed Hope and I would also like to thank Steve Coppell [Crawley Town director of football] for his assistance in completing this deal, even though it was a new experience having Steve on the other side of the table!”

 

What a country…Ruled By Baboons

Lagos City Scene

IT is not known if the word “dysfunctional” was invented specifically to describe the Nigerian state – several other candidates also come to mind – but the word certainly fills the bill. The political institutions of Africa’s biggest country are incapable of dealing with even the smallest challenge. Indeed, they often make matters worse. Consider, for example, the way that the Nigerian government has dealt with the Islamist terrorists of Boko Haram.

Or rather, how it has failed to deal with them. Boko Haram (the phrase means “Western education is sinful”) began as a loony but not very dangerous group in the northern state of Bornu who rejected everything that they perceived as “Western” science. In a BBC interview in 2009 its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, claimed that the concept of a spherical Earth is against Islamic teaching. He also denied that rain came from water evaporated by the sun.

Bornu is a very poor state, however, and his preaching gave him enough of a following among the poor and ignorant to make him a political threat to the established order. So hundreds of his followers were killed in a massive military and police attack on the movement in 2009, and Mohammed Yusuf himself was murdered while in police custody. That was what triggered Boko Haram’s terrorist campaign.

Its attacks grew rapidly: by early 2012 Boko Haram had killed 700 people in dozens of attacks against military, police, government and media organisations and against the Christian minorities living in northern Nigeria. So last March Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, promised that the security forces would end the insurgency by June. But the death toll just kept climbing.

In September, a senior official told The Guardian newspaper that “There is no sense that the government has a real grip. The situation is not remotely under control.” Last week alone saw six people dead in an attack on a church on Christmas Day, seven killed in Maiduguri, the capital of Bornu state, on December 27, and the abduction and murder of 15 Christians, mostly by slitting their throats, in a town near Maiduguri on the 28th.

President Jonathan’s response was to visit a Christian church and congratulate the security forces on preventing many more attacks during Christmas week: “Although we still recorded some incidents, the extent of attacks which (Boko Haram) planned was not allowed to be executed.” If this is what success looks like, Nigeria is in very deep trouble.

Part of the reason is the “security forces”, which are corrupt, incompetent and brutal. In the murderous rampages that are their common response to Boko Haram’s attacks, they have probably killed more innocent people than the terrorists themselves, and have certainly stolen more property. Right across the country’s mainly Muslim north, they are Boko Haram’s best recruiting sergeants.

But it is the government that raises, trains and pays these security forces, and even in a continent where many countries have problems with the professionalism of the army and police, Nigeria’s are in a class by themselves. That is ultimately because its politicians are also in a class by themselves. There are some honest and serious men and women among them, but as a group they are spectacularly cynical and self-serving.

Democracy has not transformed politics dramatically for the better anywhere in Nigeria, but the deficit is worst in the north, where the traditional rulers protected their power by making alliances with politicians who appealed to the population’s Islamic sentiments. That’s why all the northern states introduced Sharia law around the turn of the century: to stave off popular demands for more far-reaching reforms.

But that solution is now failing, for the cynical politicians who became Islamist merely for tactical reasons are being outflanked by genuine fanatics who reject not only science and religious freedom but democracy itself.

Nigeria only has an Islamist terrorist problem at the moment, mostly centred in the north and with sporadic attacks in the Christian-majority parts of the country. But it may be heading down the road recently taken by Mali, in which Islamist extremists actually seize control of the north of the country and divide it in two. And frankly, lots of people in the south wouldn’t mind a bit: just seal the new border, and forget about the north. GD

 

New Year Tragedy: Police Arrests Student For Sexual Molestation And Beheading Of His Girl Friend

The Niger state police command has confirmed the arrest of one David Ndako, an expelled student of Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger state on the murder of a Lady-Rahamat on new year day.

Police public relation officer of the command Mr Pius Edobor said the arrest was effected on a tip-off from the community leader of Rafin Yashi area of Bosso town in Minna when the said student was almost been lynched by a mob around the neighbourhood.

According to the PPRO, trouble started for the boy when neighbours saw blood dropping from the Bagco bag he was holding and demanded to know what was in the bag only for them to discover it was a human head already chopped off.

On interrogation, the ex-student admitted to have beheaded the lady identified as Rahamat who came on a visit from katsina.

The student also confessed to luring the lady to his apartment and molested her sexually before carrying out the dastardly act and said he dumped the headless body of Rahamat in a toilet.

Also speaking to Galaxy Tv News was the uncle of the victim who simply identified himself as Adamu. He said the lady came from katsina to celebrate the festive period with him and his family only for her to meet her untimely dead.

However, the state command of the Nigerian police force said investigations are still on going and that the remains of Rahamat had been deposited at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida university specialist
hospital Minna till all investigations are concluded.

Photo: Roberto Mancini Fights With Mario Baloteli While On Training.

Mancini bust up with Baloteli

Misfit Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli and manager Roberto Mancini were involved in a violent training ground bust-up today.

The City boss was seen to grab, shove and gesticulate wildly at the striker as the pair clashed in front of stunned team-mates at the club’s Carrington base.

The 22-year-old Italian striker was then seen being restrained and led away by a member of staff in shocking scenes as City prepared their FA Cup third round clash with Watford.

Face off: Mario Balotelli and Roberto Mancini (right) squared off in training

Led off: The striker was pulled away from Mancini by a coach

Mancini reacted furiously following a tackle from Balotelli on a team-mate thought to be Gael Clichy, once again putting the Italian’s future at the club in doubt.

The drama comes just after former team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic claimed Balotelli offered City the best chance of retaining their Barclays Premier League title.

He believes Mancini should continue to take the rough with the smooth and persist with the precociously talented striker.

‘If you ever spend any time with Mario then you love Mario,’ said the 31-year-old Swede, who has been no stranger to controversy himself during a 13-year career at the highest level.

Anger: Mancini was furious after a mistimed tackle from Balotelli’Even though he is not always the easiest player for the coach to manage, speak to any of his old coaches like Jose (former Inter and current Real Madrid boss Mourinho) and they will tell you when you work with Mario you always have a smile on your face.’Ibrahimovic, who has netted 18 goals in just 16 games for Paris Saint-Germain this season, believes that Balotelli can inspire City to claw back the seven-point lead Manchester United currently hold over them in the title race.

Push and pull: Mancini and Balotelli raged at each other

‘He is a special player and a special talent,’ added the former Milan, Barcelona and Juventus man. ‘When Mario plays like he can he will hurt any team in the world.

‘Manchester City are already a way behind Manchester United in the Premier League – but if any player can retain the title for them it is Mario. All the class that Manchester City have I would still say Mario is the most capable.’

Tempers: Roberto Mancini was angry after a mis-timed tackle from Mario Balotelli

Bellow: Mancini shouted at his compatriotIbrahimovic – who scored a stunning long-range overhead kick against England in November – also revealed that he helped Mancini to nurture Balotelli when the trio were together at the San Siro.’I tried to help Mario because it is true he does sometimes make decisions in the moment – but that is his personality,’ he added.’Roberto will know the same as me that the way to get the best out of Mario is to love him. That is what he will react best to – and if they can get Mario playing at his best then Manchester City still have a big chance.’

Back inside: Mancini stomps off furiously

Getting outta here: Balotelli left in his camouflage car

Real Madrid Could Be Preparing €27 Million Bid For David De Gea

Real Madrid are reportedly keen on signing former Atletico Madrid and current Manchester United goalkeeper, David De Gea for €27 million.

According to British newspaper, The Sun, a source close to Real Madrid states that manager, Jose Mourinho is very interested in bringing the 22-year-old back to Spain to challenge Los Blancos icon, Iker Casillas for the starting role.

“De Gea is definitely wanted by Mourinho, but a lot depends on his own future. But he’s studied De Gea’s form closely and he’s very interested.”

De Gea was sold by Atletico Madrid to Manchester United 18 months ago for €22 million, but since his arrival at Old Trafford, the Spanish U-21 player has yet to solidify a starting role and has expressed interest in the possibility of returning to Spain during his career.

De Gea has played 12 matches for Manchester United this season, conceding 17 goals.

Samsung Galaxy S IV Rumoured To Launch With S-Pen Stylus In April

Samsung Mobile

The next iteration of Samsung’s flagship device, the Galaxy S IV is rumoured to come with the famed S-Pen stylus as seen in it’s 5-inch phablets the Galaxy Note and Note II

Phone Arena reports via Korean site eNuri that the Galaxy S IV is the first smartphone in the series to feature the stylus as the Korean manufacturer seeks to “unite its Note series with the flagship Galaxy S IV”, allegedly confirmed by a quote from a Samsung official.

According to latest rumours from SamMobile, the Samsung Galaxy S IV is being developed under the codename ‘Project J’ and is likely to be launched in April next year.

Reports have indicated that the Galaxy S IV will indeed come with a 4.99-inch Super AMOLED display with 1920×1080 resolution, giving it a pixel density of 441ppi. That report is in line with other rumours which suggested that Samsung and LG are working on smartphones with full-HD display, which may be released in first-half of 2013.

Additionally, murmurs are that the new Samsung Android flagship will run on Jelly Bean and feature a 2 GHz quad-core Exynos processor and an 8-core GPU. It is also rumoured that the smartphone will use ARM big.LITTLE architecture featuring a combination of an energy-efficient A7 processor and an A15 one for simple and heavy task processing.

There’s more buzz about the device being equipped with a 13-megapixel camera rear auto-focus camera and slightly thicker, 9.2mm body.

Other rumours suggest that the device will come with an unbreakable screen that could be a great attraction for the smartphone in terms of sales. Samsung, however, has not officially made any statement in this regard.