Chelsea midfielder Obi Mikel hoping his goal will be decisive against PSG

Mikel Obi

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel hopes his goal at PSG will be decisive in their Champions League tie.

An away goal could prove decisive when the teams meet in London on Wednesday 9 March, with the score currently 2-1.

"We're a bit disappointed," said the Nigerian. "They had more possession and we know how good they are but we went out there to play and get a goal, and we did that. Now we have an away goal and hopefully we can capitalise on that at home.

"We want to play and keep doing what we've been doing. It's our first loss under the new manager but we're not out of the tie yet, we've still got the second leg to play and hopefully we can build on the goal we have.

"When we play at home we need to make sure we get a good result and go through."

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Guus Hiddink 'envies' PSG strength but insists Chelsea still in Champions League race

Chelsea players look dejected following their 2-1 defeat in Paris

Guus Hiddink insists Chelsea are "still in the race" to reach the next stage of the Champions League, despite a first leg defeat to PSG.

Edinson Cavani's late strike on Tuesday night sealed a 2-1 win for the hosts in the last-16 encounter but Jon Obi Mikel cancelled out Zlatan Ibrahimovic's opener to give Chelsea a vital away goal.

"Of course, a defeat is never a good or nice feeling, but you have to consider that it is a two-legged game, and scoring away is always good," Hiddink said.

"We emphasise on that, and emphasise a very good tactical defensive organisation, but on top of that we had some danger also. We were not killing in the four or five counters that we had, I think we could have gone a little bit further than that. But losing 2-1, of course we are still in the race.

Cavani, a £55m record signing for the runaway Ligie 1 leaders, had started the game on the bench and Hiddink admitted he looked on with envy at the options at Laurent Blanc's disposal.

"I think bearing in mind we are playing a very strong team, you can see that this team what they can bring in the second half with substitutions, this is a very strong PSG with a good build in the total squad," Hiddink said.
"I envy a bit the bench of PSG.

Edinson Cavani celebrates having scored the winner for PSG

"The performance of our players tactically was good, but we could have been a little better in the four or five counters we made. I'm never happy with a loss, but it's not a dramatic loss.

"The players did well (defensively), not just the four in defence. We also had a disciplined midfield, we had to reshuffle."

Eden Hazard started for the second match in a row - only his third start in six games after completing his first 90 minutes of 2016 against Newcastle on Saturday - before he was brought off for Oscar at the Parc des Princes.

And Hiddink said the Belgian, who chose the eve of the match to reveal it would be difficult to turn down a move to PSG, has some "growing" to do to return to his best.

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink says Eden Hazard's fitness need to 'grow'

Hiddink said: "He had a threat forward and he had some good runs, but of course, this was a game with a high intensity. After 65, 70 minutes, it was enough for him.

"He has to grow and when he does, his shape will grow as well. Happily we also have Oscar for his position. He will be better and better."

John Terry missed the trip to Paris and may have to wait for his 700th Chelsea appearance as he is a doubt for Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round tie at home to Manchester City.

Hiddink will not rush the captain back.

"We'll see," he said. "We must be careful. We must not go into a situation where he will drop back into a longer period of injury."

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Man jailed for stealing ‘soft drinks’

A Gudu Upper Area Court in the FCT on Wednesday sentenced, Nebo Achebe, to three weeks imprisonment for stealing 13 cans of beverage and electric bulbs.

The presiding officer, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, also gave the convict an option to a fine of N3,000. Kagarko warned the convict to desist from committing crime after his sentence. He also ordered that the recovered items should be returned to the owners within 30 days from Feb. 17.

 Achebe, a resident of No.9 Okey Water Street, Federal Housing, Lugbe, Abuja, was convicted for theft. Earlier, the Prosecutor, Adeniyi Oyeyemi, had told the court that Pius Peter of Plot 270, Muhammadu Buhari way, Central Area, Abuja, reported the matter at the Central Police Station on Feb. 15.

Oyeyemi said the convict was caught with 10 cans of Hi-malt, three cans of Fayrouz and three pieces of electrical bulbs all valued at N3,690 at Grand Square Supermarket, Central Area, Abuja, on the said date. Oyeyemi said the offence contravened Section 287 of the Penal Code. Achebe, however, pleaded guilty and begged for leniency.

A Gudu Upper Area Court in the FCT on Wednesday sentenced, Nebo Achebe, to three weeks imprisonment for stealing 13 cans of beverage and electric bulbs.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/man-jailed-for-stealing-soft-drinks/

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BIAFRA: We won’t resort to violence in self-defence —IPOB

Nnewi—The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has denied earlier reports that it has resolved to resort to violence with the security agencies who have been killing their members during protest and prayer sessions. In a statement issued yesterday in Nnewi by the IPOB Media and Publicity Officer, Mr. Emma Powerful, he said there was never a time IPOB threatened to resort to violence in its agitation for the release of its leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr.

 Nnamdi Kanu and actualization of the sovereign state of Biafra. He said those who were quoting IPOB or any of its coordinators or spokespersons as saying so, were either trying to be mischievous or trying to paint a picture of IPOB being a violent group that will be tagged a terrorist group by the international community .

 According to him, IPOB after the killing of their members in a prayer session in Aba, Abia State by security men and several other killings that resulted to the loss of lives of over 1,000 members, resolved to defend themselves in the face of any attack, but it did not say with weapons.

His words: “We believe that some people are out to destroy IPOB name, and it is the same people who tried without success to link us with the seizure of a merchant ship last month, which the Nigerian Army confirmed the hijackers were not from Nigeria. Now, that the plan to tarnish our image has failed, they are plotting another way by saying that we want to go violent, but their plan will not work.

 “IPOB will maintain its non violent approach. Like other responsible Biafra agitators, we will not be violent but Nigerians and the world should be rest assured that we will defend ourselves in the face of any attack by the military, police or any other security agencies because we have been pushed to the wall by the Nigerian military and the police, and we will not take that any longer.

 “There are many non violent ways of defending ourselves. Self defence is approved in international law, and you should not be shooting people that were praying and think that they will leave you unchallenged. “We are not going to involve in any kind of arms struggle. It is not our style but we must achieve Biafra.

 It is funny that the people that have been killing us over the years are now jittery that we said we will defend ourselves in the face of any attack. So, they love their lives, they do not want to die but they are killing us. Let them try and kill our members again and we will show them how we will defend ourselves” he said.

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Dasuki: Am not ready for trial

ABUJA— Former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki, has said he was not ready for trial until the Federal Government complied with an order of the Federal High Court granting him bail.

In November 2015, Justice Adeniyi Ademola had granted Dasuki bail but the Department of State Services, DSS, rearrested him immediately after his release from Kuje prison. Counsel to the DSS, Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN), announced to the court, yesterday, that the prosecution was ready for trial to commence.

 But Joseph Daudu, counsel to Dasuki, said the defence counsel was not ready to proceed with the trial because the Federal Government was still keeping the accused person in detention, despite an order of the court granting him bail. He said: “We cannot be ready for trial until the defendant enjoys his constitutional rights.

 We apply that we should be given time to prepare the defence. The conduct of the prosecution has not enabled him to enjoy his constitutional rights. The worst thing is that for about seven weeks we have had no idea of his whereabouts.”

 However, Okpeseyi argued that the prosecution was not stopping Dasuki from enjoying his freedom, saying the accused person was not allegedly held for the charges before the court. He, therefore, asked the court to reject the request for adjournment and to commence trial. But the court adjourned till March 3 for the hearing on a motion to discharge Dasuki.

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Confusion in PDP as Ali Modu Sheriff emerge as PDP National Chairman

ABUJA- CRISIS rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Tuesday took a new twist as there was a sharp division among the organs of the party over the choice of former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the new national chairman of the Party.

Senator Modu Sheriff was picked by National Caucus of PDP comprising the governors, members of the National Working committee, NWC and the leadership of the National Assembly.

Sheriff who was the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, was picked by the caucus as the candidate from the pool of other aspirants that appeared for the interview and screening.

Twenty nine names were said to have indicated interest for the position, but later pruned down to seven, even as former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu who indicated interest for the position, but did not show up for the screening.

 Sheriff was the choice of the governors, the Senators, the national caucus, the National Working Committee, NWC, just as his name was waiting for approval by BoT and ratification by the National Executive Committee, NEC.

Source: Vanguard

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