he inauguration ceremony for President Barack Obama's second term
will be held Monday after taking the oath of office Sunday in an
intimate White House ceremony witnessed by family.
The 57th presidential inauguration will begin at 11:30 a.m. ET. Obama
will once again be given the oath by Chief Justice John Roberts on the
Capitol steps in Washington.
The official theme for the 2013 inauguration is "Faith in America's
Future," commemorating the United States' perseverance and unity,
marking the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and
the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's march on Washington.
The president has chosen to take the public oath with his hand on both their Bibles stacked together.
After the ceremonial swearing in, the Inaugural Luncheon with
Congress in the Capitol will be held. The president and vice president
and their wives will then lead the parade at 2:35 p.m. to the White
House.
Obama has cut back on some of the reveling from four years ago -
there will be no concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and only
two official balls instead of 10.
But there still will be elaborate celebration - a long list of top
entertainment acts, including Beyonce - who will sing the national
anthem, Katy Perry and Brad Paisley have signed on to perform at the
weekend's events, including the balls which are expected to draw around
40,000 people to the Washington Convention Center.
An estimated 1.8 million people attended Obama's 2009 Presidential
Inauguration, a record-breaking number for any event in the nation's
capital.
Stephen Keshi's men face a tricky clash in their Afcon 2013
opener in South Africa with both sides hoping to start the tournament
with a positive result on Sunday
Finally, after months, if not years of anticipation, Nigeria
re-emerge at the continental high table. All that stands in the way of a
triumphant return to Africa’s centrepiece occasion are the Stallions of
Burkina Faso, west African neighbours unlikely to roll over for Stephen Keshi’s Super Eagles.
In recent friendly matches, against Catalunya and Cape Verde, the
'Big Boss' has shuffled his pack, attempting to find the right blend of
superstars and workhorses, trying to forge a complete outfit out of the
players at his disposal. John Obi Mikel will surely feature in the heart
of the midfield, but will the Chelsea man be employed with a defensive
or an attacking remit?
The answer to this question may determine who plays alongside him in
Keshi’s 4-3-3 formation. Perhaps it will be Norway-based midfielder
Fegor Ogude, or maybe Nosa Igiebor will be allowed to fulfil creative
duties in the centre of the field.
Despite losing all three of their games at the last Afcon, Burkina
Faso arrive at South Africa keen to demonstrate improvement from 2012 –
and are more than capable of pulling off a shock. Midfielder Jonathan
Pitroipa is a player with the potential to cause Nigeria trouble, and
although vocal before the tournament about the difficulties within the
group, the Super Eagles will need to keep close tabs on Rennes’ creative
hub.
Pitroipa will likely be supporting Moumouni Dagano and Alain Traore,
and the pair have more than enough natural ability to test Vincent
Enyeama and the defenders charged with protecting Nigeria’s goal.
Charles Kabore of Marseille, is a key player at the back for Burkina
Faso, and he will need to be on top form for the Stallions to get
anything from the match.
DID YOU KNOW?
Nigeria's opposition used to play as 'The Upper Volta' before the country changed their name in 1984 to Burkina Faso.
The Super Eagles have finished in third-place a record six times,
beating Tunisia, Cameroon, Senegal, Algeria, and Mali (twice) in the
play-off matches.
Whilst Nigeria have become the Kings of third-place
finishes at the Afcon, Burkina Faso's best effort was in 1998, on home
soil, when the Stallions finished in fourth place.
Along with Niger, the Burkinabe struggled at Afcon 2012 - departing
the tournament after the group stage, having accumulated no wins and
zero points.
Players to Watch
John Obi Mikel
Position:
Midfielder
Squad Number:
10
Games
Goals
YC
RC
0
1
0
0
Mikel brings experience and balance to the
Nigerian team through the midfield, and his input will be very important
against the dangerous Burkinabe.
Jonathan Pitroipa
Position:
Midfielder
Squad Number:
11
Games
Goals
YC
RC
0
0
0
0
The Burkina Faso fans will be counting on
Pitroipa's skills and ability to create and score, hoping that their
star man comes up with the goods in this difficult match against the
Super Eagles.
Prediction
The Super Eagles are desperate to
impress in their opening encounter of the 2013 Afcon, and they will be
pushing forward ferociously in search of goal.
Nigeria’s trip to Faro, Portugal appears to be turning a wise decision
by the Stephen Keshi led coaching crew as Super Eagles players are
likely going to open their 2013 Africa Cup of Nations campaign against
Burkina Faso Monday in a likely winter condition at the Mbombela Stadium
in Nelspruit.
Eagles’ training camp in Portugal was considered a poor judgment
because of the winter coldness that was likely going to contrast with
the supposed warm summer condition of South Africa at this time of the
year.
But the sudden change in the South African weather which now ensures
steady rainfall since Saturday morning now made the trip to Faro, a
worthwhile venture. The two matches of Group A were played with
blighting cold and rainfall at the Soccer City in Soweto on Saturday.
And weather reports monitored in Johannesburg Sunday indicate that the
Nigeria, Burkina Faso match may be played under a rainy condition.
Eagles last training session at the lush green pitch of Ingwenyama
Sports and Resort Centre in Nelspruit was done under a heavy down pour,
with the weather also dropping below what ordinary should be summer
condition.
Both Keshi and Mikel insisted that they were not ready to take chances by staying away from the rain.
“We can’t take chances whether it rains or not”, Mikel said when asked about the readiness of the team.
All the players responded very well and the team is injury free, with
skipper Joseph Yobo saying it was good to be back in the bright sunny
weather of Africa.
“Its been good since we got here and I think the players are gradually
getting used to being together and I know we will have a beautiful
tournament,” the Eagles skipper declared.
Meanwhile, the cheery news from Eagles camp was the return to full training by goalkeeper, Austin Ejide.
Ejide had copped an injury in one of the team’s international friendly against Cape Verde in Portugal.
“I feel real good and ready but I am taking it easy as the medics have
advised but am feeling real good”, he declared. On Saturday evening,
goalkeeper trainer, Ike Shorunmu, took Ejide on a special training
session with Ejide turning out in impressive dives, punches and general
conditioning of a good goalkeeper.
Lagos
state Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), yesterday had a meeting
with Executive Chairman of Google Inc., Eric Schmidt to discuss the use
of the internet and technology to drive growth in diverse sectors of the
state.
The meeting which held at the State House, Marina had several government officials and members of the Google team in attendance.
The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr Obafemi Hamzat was
in attendance alongside his Science and Technology counterpart, Mr
Adebiyi Mabadeje. The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs
Olushola Oworu, Director, Google Idea, Mr Jared Cohen, Country Manager
Google Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan, Deputy Chief of Staff, Governor’s
Office, Ms Moji Rhodes and member, Lagos Innovation Advisory Council, Mr
Tomi Davies were all present at the meeting where it was revealed that
Lagos is the hub of Google Inc.’s initiatives in the country
follow @moshmustapha for more
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been challenged to bring the 2013
Africa Cup of Nations trophy home as anything other than that will be
deemed a failure.
First Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Chief Mike
Umeh, while commending the Stephen Keshi tutored lads for putting up a
brilliant show in their 1-0 win over Dutch club, FC Rotterdam on
Saturday, said, “the victory is a morale booster for the team. It shows
that the Eagles are consistent. Unlike their Zambian counterparts, the
Eagles are yet to lose a match in their friendlies, so far. I just pray
they can carry on to the Nations Cup.”
Commenting on the expectations of the football house from Coach
Stephen Keshi and his wards, Umeh said, “Preparations have been
excellent, they have been given a free hand and there has been no
interference from any quarters; we expect he (Keshi) delivers,” Umeh
said.
Continuing, the NFF chieftain added, “There is a common parlance that
says, ‘to whom much is given much is expected.’ My dream, and surely,
I’m speaking the minds of my colleagues on the board, is to see Keshi
and the Eagles bring home the trophy. It would not be enough to say I
want to see them in the semi final or final. There is no other way of
measuring had work than success. That means it’s the trophy or nothing.”
follow @moshmustapha for more This can’t be good for Kim Kardashian’s mental health as the
mommy-to-be is busy house-hunting and shopping for shoes with beau Kanye
West.
After facing trademark infringement allegations last year for their
Khroma Beauty line, the Kardashian sisters have been hit with hefty
lawsuit. Celebrity makeup artist Lee Tillett is seeking $10 million in
damages from the fashionable trio and Boldface Licensing + Branding, the
company that owns Khroma Beauty’s license, for allegedly swiping the
name of her cosmetics line and adding an “h.”
The Orlando Sentinel reports that Tillett, who launched Kroma Makeup
in 2004, filed the suit this Wednesday in a Los Angeles federal court.
She had previously filed a cease and desist letter back in June to
Boldface Licensing + Branding, taking action one step further than
Chroma Makeup.
“I developed the Kroma line myself, built my business through my own
hard work, and took the legal steps necessary to protect it,” Tillett
said in a press statement. “And yet I have now been forced into legal
battle with the Kardashians simply because they have decided to take
something that doesn’t belong to them.”
While Boldface had told The Huffington Post last October that they
too had gone through the necessary legal steps to secure their name,
Tillett is preparing to protect her brand’s name and money at all costs.
What do you think of the latest development in the Khroma Beauty legal battle? Do you think the Kardashians should pay up?
follow @moshmustapha for more A South African court has found Henry Okah guilty of terrorism charges leveled against him by the federal government of Nigeria.
Okah is accused of masterminding two car bombings in Abuja on October
1 in 2010. 12 people were killed and 36 were injured. He was arrested
in Johannesburg the following day.
Okah was allegedly the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of
the Niger Delta, that claimed responsibility for the blasts.
He was charged with engaging in terrorist activities, conspiracy to
engage in terrorist activity, and delivering, placing, and detonating an
explosive device.
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, who was first to
give evidence at the opening of Okah’s trial said Okah was a “key figure
in the Niger Delta struggle and the militants had a lot of respect for
him”.
Okah denied involvement in the attacks, which were claimed by MEND militants, and also denies being the leader of the group.
follow @moshmustapha for more Nigeria star Mikel Obi has been ranked as the seventh biggest
earner at the AFCON in South Africa with an estimated income of $6.5m.
African Footballer of the year Yaya Toure is the biggest earner at
the Nations Cup with an annual salary reported to be about $22m.
Compatriot Didier Drogba, who has moved to China to cash on on his
twilight years in the game, is second on the money list as he rakes in
excess of about $18m.
The other ‘Big Boys’ are Mali skipper Seydou Keita ($17m), Togo super
star Emmanuel Adebayor ($15m), Ghana skipper Asamoah Gyan ($12m) and
Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure ($8.5m).
Mikel, according to a survey by South Africa’s City Press, also earns extra cashfrom his sponsors Nike, Pepsi and Samsung.
The Chelsea midfielder was also ranked among the top 10 sexiest players at the African tournament in South Africa.
The Sowetan also picked several of these big earners like Keita, Yaya
Toure and Adebayor to turn the heads of the ladies in South Africa.
it is not a new thing that one can chat with friends on Facebook using 2go chat messenger. you can link Facebook and 2go chat
together to connect with your friends . a lot of us have seen their
pals used it and you may wonder how they did it.its not difficult to
do,so if you want to catch more fun in using the application, then you
must connect 2go and Facebook together to enjoy more fun in
chatting with your pals.this will enable newbies that has few friends to
get busy with their FB pals and family.today i am going to share with
you on how to link Facebook to 2go chat messenger.
before you can do the linking,you must first of all claim your FB username. after claiming it, you can then add it to 2go profile using gateway.
note that you can also use 2go chat gateway to link gtalk, mxit to your profile. what is 2go chat gateway
it serve as a door to link and connect other social networking site like
gtalk, mxit, Facebook to 2go profile.hope they will add twitter to it.
so how do i add Facebook to 2go chat
==> get your FB username,then lunch 2go chat and logging.
==> click on setting=>gateway. you will see 3 option Facebook, gtalk and mxit.
==> choose FB and click activate, insert your FB username and password,then
click summit. they will tell you if it is successful or not and you
will see a new FB category added to your profile. that's all.you can see
how easy it is to link 2go chat and Facebook account.
visit www.moshmustaphablogspot.com to view the latest post update you are not seeing right now.
more articles update is posted on gurubest every day,so don't be the last to get update to your DON'T FORGET TO SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK BY CLICKING THE SHARE BUTTON
The richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, recently took delivery of a luxury yacht said to be worth millions of Naira.
The Yacht, which was specially built for him, It’s called Mariya, and
it’s currently sitting at Carrington Crescent, behind Femi Otedola’s
office and also beside Femi Otedola’s Private Yatch in Victoria Island.
Money is Good!! God Bless everyone of Us this Year! A Big Amen to that.
French and Malian troops
have entered the key central Malian town of Diabaly, without resistance
from militant Islamists, reports say.
A convoy of about 30 armoured vehicles carrying some 200
French and Malian soldiers moved into the town, said an AFP reporter
with the soldiers.
The Islamists fled the town on Friday after it was hit by French airstrikes.
France launched its military action in Mali more than a week ago to end the Islamist control of northern Mali.
France's military aim in Mali is its "total reconquest", French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Sunday.
"We will not leave any pockets" of resistance, he told French television.
France has sent some 2,000 troops to help Malian forces fight the Islamist militants.
What does Tiger Woods have to say about recent tabloid reports that he’s trying to win back ex-wife Elin Nordegren?
“I am not going to comment on my private life,” Woods told reporters at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Thursday.
Earlier this week, the National Enquirer published a story claiming
that the disgraced golfer proposed to Nordegren again over the holidays.
According to the gossip rag, Woods even offered the former Swedish
model a $200 million pre-nup. She is reportedly considering the offer
under one condition — that he add a $350 million anti-cheating clause to
the agreement.
“Tiger didn’t even balk at the demand,” an unnamed source reportedly
told the Enquirer. “Even though his accountants think he’s crazy, he’s
ready to sign the pre-nup and set a wedding date.”
Woods and Nordegren, his wife of nearly six years, divorced in August
2010 in the wake of his much-publicized cheating scandal that included
at least a dozen alleged mistresses. Woods and Nordegren have two
children together — Sam, 5, and Charlie, 3. Nordegren reportedly walked
away with a handsome $110 million settlement in the divorce.
Since the split, Nordegren has been romantically linked to
businessman Jamie Dingman and more recently to Swedish hockey player
Douglas Murray.
Click through the slideshow below for more on what Nordegren has been up to in her post-split life.
Barack Obama has officially been sworn in for his second term as US president in a small ceremony at the White House.
Although the US Constitution requires the oath of office to
be taken by noon on 20 January, that falls on a Sunday so the public
inauguration will take place on Monday.
Mr Obama took his official oath in the White House's Blue Room.
Given this fell on a Sunday, a public inauguration with pomp and circumstance will take place on Monday.
Vice-President Joe Biden was sworn in for a second term at a
small ceremony at his official residence earlier on Sunday morning.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administered the
oath of office to Mr Obama, witnessed by First Lady Michelle Obama and
their daughters Sasha and Malia as well as some family members and
reporters.
Resting his hand on a Bible used for many years by his wife's
family, Mr Obama vowed "to preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution of the United States".
He will repeat those words during Monday's public inauguration, in which he will also set out his plans for the next four years.
Mr Biden will also repeat his oath publicly on Monday. Bunting and Beyonce
Thousands of workers and volunteers have been working to
finish construction for Monday's celebrations, with white tents,
trailers and generators being set up along the Washington Mall's parade
route as nearby buildings were adorned with red, white and blue bunting.
For his part, Mr Obama rolled up his sleeves and donned
gloves to spend Saturday sprucing up a school with other volunteers, as
part of a National Day of Service kicking off the inauguration
ceremonies - similar to the way he spent the day before his first
presidential inauguration in 2009.
He urged volunteers to honour the memory of civil rights
leader Martin Luther King, whose birthday, a national holiday, falls on
Monday. This year is the 50th anniversary of King's march on Washington.
President Obama's second term work will be more of a
challenge than Saturday's school work, says the BBC's Ben Wright in
Washington - trying to change America's gun laws, reforming immigration
and dealing with the country's debt.
Joe Biden takes the Oath of Office for his second term as Vice-President
In 2009, nearly two million people crammed into Washington to witness President Obama's first inauguration.
Four years on, the mood is unlikely to match that excitement, says our correspondent.
But, he adds, the second inauguration of America's first black president is a moment many will not want to miss.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected in Washington
for that event - a smaller number than the 1.8 million who flocked for
the swearing-in in 2009.
They will crowd onto the Mall leading to Congress wrapped up
against the cold, to see their president take the oath of office on the
steps of the flag-draped Capitol and listen to his speech.
The day will include music from Beyonce and Fun, parades, black tie balls and very tight security.
A
team of four scientists has written an article in the latest edition of
the Journal of Cosmology claiming that a meteorite discovered in Sri
Lanka contains evidence of extraterrestrial life. Inside the meteorite,
according to Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe, the lead scientist and
Director of the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology, are tiny fossil
microbes that are extraterrestrial in origin. The findings of
Wickramasinghe and his team in their co-authored article, “Fossil Diatoms in a New Carbonaceous Meteorite’," immediately aroused controversy. In an article in the Huffington Post
published on January 19, Lee Spiegal addressed the controversy and
Wickramasinghe’s response to early criticism. Critics claim that the
meteorite sample examined by Wickramasinghe’s team was very likely
contaminated by Earth based algae. This raises suspicion that once again
scientists claiming they have found evidence for extraterrestrial life
will be subjected to a firestorm of criticism including direct personal
attacks from their peers. click for morehttp://news.exopoliticsinstitute.org/index.php/37290/
Africa’s reigning football champions, Zambia, are in great shape and
ready to defend their title when the 29th edition of the African Cup of
Nations (AFCON) kicks-off on Sunday (January 19) in Johannesburg, South
Africa.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, President of Zambia Football
Association and former international skipper, Kalusha Bwalya, said the
national team have sharpened up in the aftermath of their lukewarm
preparatory matches in which they recorded a string of losses.
Chipolopolo have come under fiery criticism from fans after losing to
Tanzania, Saudi Arabia and neighbours Angola in friendly matches played
since November last year.
They recently salvaged 0-0 draws against North African giants, Morocco,
in a friendly played in South Africa and against Norway at Levy
Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola last Saturday.
But, Kalusha is optimistic that Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets), “are ready for the battle to defend the crown”.
He cited Zambia’s performance against Morocco and Norway as an indication of their readiness.
Bwalya, the 1988 African Footballer of the Year and one of the most
celebrated players in Zambia, is happy that the team is injury-free.
However, several soccer analysts have warned the team to guard against
complacency, as all teams travelling for the AFCON 2013 want to beat
Zambia and show that last year’s victory was a “fluke”.
Zambia is in group C with Ethiopia, Nigeria and Burkina Faso, a
relatively easy but tricky group which can evoke emotions of 1996 when
Zambia lost 1-2 to Nigeria in the finals in Tunisia.
Meanwhile, ZAFA delegation leader to the AFCON, Pivoty Simwanza, says
Chipolopolo are on the path of reaching the form that saw them win the
Africa Cup.
He is confident that Zambia will retain the Africa Cup.
“We are going all the way to the final and winning the trophy,” Simwanza said.
The volunteer in the mixed zone of the National Stadium (formerly
known as Soccer City and FNB, occasionally called the Calabash) was sure
who was to blame for the woeful display by Bafana Bafana against Cape
Verde in the opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday
night. “You can’t blame Gordon Igesund for this. Look at the players he
has to work with. There’s no talent there.”
The security guard at the entrance to the parking at The Star’s
building in Sauer Street was sure on whom to place the blame: “It’s
Igesund. They must get rid of him. He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
In the mixed zone, opinion rocked and rolled through the regular
South African football journalists. “He picked Bongani (Khumalo) just
because he speaks well,” said one. “I could play better than that, and
I’m old,” reckoned another. “Hey, stop pushing us,” bitched a touchy
radio sod that wasn’t being pushed during an interview in the crush of
the mixed zone. Nerves were on edge, pride had been damaged and someone
needed to be blamed for the amateur nonsense that the national team had
just shown.
A few weeks ago, at an informal lunch with journalists, Igesund
said his players reacted better when they read positive things about
themselves. It has been a constant theme in the build-up to the Afcon.
Be proud, soften the rough edges, back off the mistakes and the errors
of Bafana and the organisational cock-ups of the tournament. So, here
goes. Positive thoughts. Deep breath.
It was heartening to receive an email from the Government
Communication and Information System media liaison to inform me of a
“Media briefing by the South African Minister of Sport and Recreation
and the 2013 Orange Afcon Chairman”. It was scheduled to take place at
“12h00” at the Sandton Sun yesterday. The email arrived at 11.54am
yesterday. It is impressive that Fikile Mbalula and Chief Mwelo
Nonkonyana believe that the media can travel from offices in downtown
Joburg, Rosebank, Auckland Park and Industria to Sandton in six minutes.
Mind you, the sports minister is usually around an hour late for
pressers, so perhaps the scheduled time was more of a guideline. That
surely could not have been Mbalula in the 13-car motorcade roaring down
Oxford past Rosebank yesterday at 1pm, could it?
A colleague said they received an SMS at around the same time to
announce that the presser would be about the “incident-free” opening day
of the Afcon. That’s good news for the man who tweeted Mandy Wiener of
Radio 702 on Saturday night to say his friend had been “bladed” by two
thugs trying to steal his phone and wallet in the toilet. I’ve seen the
pictures on Twitter. Those pants can be repaired and that wound will
heal in less than a month.
It was a wise and brave decision by whoever was in charge of the
media logistics for the National Stadium to make sure that there were no
tables or power points for the written press and photographers in the
stands. Journalists have been spoilt for too long! The people don’t have
power, so why should hacks! Instead, give them seats in the stands,
make them write with their laptops on their knees, an anxious eye on how
much power they have left and let them feel the rain splashing on their
keyboards! That’s the way the fans that paid R50 have to watch the
game. Oh, and the ban on umbrellas was a stroke of genius. Dangerous
things.
I’ve been told someone called Sipho Sithole is the LOC chief
communications officer. He apparently was the SABC’s head of strategy
before. His Twitter bio says he’s an “award-winning music producer,
prolific music composer, cultural preservationist, socio-political,
& corporate player, scholar and academic”. He’s perfect for the job
of making sure the media are informed and looked after. Or perhaps
that's someone else’s job. He hasn’t been on Twitter since Friday, but
that’s okay. He walked past us sitting in the rain on Saturday afternoon
and gave us the thumbs up. I was so relieved to see that. Then I knew
everything was okay.
The hour-long queue for match tickets we didn’t actually need was
a great way to meet old friends again. And it was a pleasure to meet
the jolly Caf official who told us that the LOC was supposed to give
tickets for the mixed zone and press conference to South African
journalists, and that he was doing us the biggest favour. It was a good
thing they stopped giving out warm cooldrinks as the first match ended.
If the public are going to pay R45 for a 500ml bottle of water, then
everyone should.
I can’t wait for the rest of the tournament. Ignore all those who
complain that the organising is not up to the standard of the World
Cup. This isn’t the World Cup! This is Afcon! Just as long as it looks
like you’re better than those other countries, then it’s fine with me.
One last thing … a senior policeman at the National Stadium told me on
Saturday night that the security and parking around the stadium was as
confused as a “tumble drier”. He was big, so I didn’t say anything.
Please inform him he is wrong.
RAFAEL
BENITEZ enjoyed some home victory today as Chelsea avoided throwing
away another two-goal lead against a battling Arsenal side.
Juan Mata celebrates after scoring the first goal for Chelsea
Action Images
SOMETIMES it doesn’t matter how you do it. It just matters that you do it.
Rafa
Benitez needed the final whistle to be met with cheers, not jeers.
Fernando Torres needed to leave the field to applause, not boos.
More
importantly, Chelsea had to end the home-sickness that threatened to
send their entire season into free-fall. And as the snow came down on
Stamford Bridge, Benitez’ Blues held on in the teeth of Arsenal’s flurry
to change the complexion of the rest of the season for both these
clubs.
In the end, Frank Lampard stroked home from the spot and divided two sides who each bossed 45 minutes.
The
second half was controlled as much by the Gunners as the first had been
by the home side, the transformation hard to comprehend.
But it is Chelsea, finally breaking their SW6 duck in 2013, who got what they required, three vital points and momentum.
Benitez,
who had won just two of his previous seven home matches, could easily
have seen his side endure the same fate as last week’s 2-2 draw with
Southampton, when they blew a two-goal half-time lead.
Asked if he was relieved, he said: “Happy because we were creating a lot of chances at home but not winning.
“But today we had a lot of chances in the first half, were on top of them, controlling the game.
“Even in the second half we had situations on the counter-attack where we could have scored another.”
So
a good day for Chelsea but Arsenal are paying the price for a wretched
start and are now 11 adrift of the Blues. Now they know fourth is the
absolute summit of their Premier League ambitions.
In truth, too, they can have no complaints, starting too late at Stamford Bridge to come away with anything other than regrets.
Where
Arsene Wenger asked his side to expose a “fragile” Chelsea, it was his
own side’s vulnerabilities, weaknesses, failings, that were opened up to
scrutiny.
Of course, it might have been different had Olivier
Giroud done what he should have done five minutes in, when Theo
Walcott’s perfect pass sent the Frenchman in on goal, Gary Cahill
powerless to prevent the strike.
But within a minute of Giroud dragging wide, Chelsea were in front, when Mata thrashed his 14th of the season into the net.
Ten
minutes later it was 2-0. Mata picked out Ramires and when Arsenal
keeper Wojciech Szczesny brought down the Brazilian, Martin Atkinson
pointed to the spot. Lampard’s penalty, took him to 195 goals and within
seven of Bobby Tambling’s club record.
As Arsenal flew out of the
traps after the break, Per Mertesacker and Walcott could have scored
before the latter did claim his 15th of the season, a terrific, composed
and clinical finish when Santi Cazorla slid through.
Arsenal pushed on, Thomas Vermaelen shot wide, four late corners came to nothing, Chelsea, Gary Cahill to the fore, held on.
Benitez
confirmed Ashley Cole had reached an agreement with the club over a new
contract, but sidestepped any talk about Lampard’s future.
The
Spaniard said Lampard is “doing a great job ... he is playing well” but
stressed “it is not my decision” to extend his stay at the club.
Nigeria
2
Eagles in training at Nelspruit
Lagos
state Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), yesterday had a meeting
with Executive Chairman of Google Inc., Eric Schmidt to discuss the use
of the internet and technology to drive growth in diverse sectors of the
state.
Lagos
state Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), yesterday had a meeting
with Executive Chairman of Google Inc., Eric Schmidt to discuss the use
of the internet and technology to drive growth in diverse sectors of the
state.
A
team of four scientists has written an article in the latest edition of
the Journal of Cosmology claiming that a meteorite discovered in Sri
Lanka contains evidence of extraterrestrial life. Inside the meteorite,
according to Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe, the lead scientist and
Director of the Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology, are tiny fossil
microbes that are extraterrestrial in origin. The findings of
Wickramasinghe and his team in their co-authored article, “Fossil Diatoms in a New Carbonaceous Meteorite’," immediately aroused controversy. In an article in the Huffington Post
published on January 19, Lee Spiegal addressed the controversy and
Wickramasinghe’s response to early criticism. Critics claim that the
meteorite sample examined by Wickramasinghe’s team was very likely
contaminated by Earth based algae. This raises suspicion that once again
scientists claiming they have found evidence for extraterrestrial life
will be subjected to a firestorm of criticism including direct personal
attacks from their peers. click for morehttp://news.exopoliticsinstitute.org/index.php/37290/
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