Premier League: Arsenal Beat Burnley 3-1 To Level Leaders Man City
Arsenal outclassed Burnley 3-1 on Saturday to move second in the Premier League table and hand the visitors a sixth straight defeat in all competitions. Goals from Leandro Trossard, William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko gave Arsenal victory but their afternoon ended on a sour note when Fabio Vieira was sent off for a reckless challenge. Arsenal climbed to 29 points in the standings, level with leaders Manchester City and one point above north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who lost 2-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the early kickoff. “Really happy with the result, especially the performance. How dominant we were against a team that is very difficult to dominate. “The amount of situations that we generated I think we fully deserved to win the game,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told reporters. Burnley’s crisis deepened as they sit 19th with four points following their 10th defeat in 12 games. Vincent Kompany named an unchanged Burnley side for the first time this season and they did well to keep Arsenal at bay even as Arteta’s team dominated possession and piled on the pressure in search of a breakthrough. The London side scored on the stroke of halftime when Bukayo Saka headed the ball across the six-yard box and Trossard leapt into the air to head home Arsenal’s 1,000th goal at Emirates Stadium. However, celebrations were muted as the Belgian clattered into the post and winced in pain as he held his arm before returning to the pitch after treatment. Burnley levelled against the run of play in the second half when a blocked shot fell to Josh Brownhill and the skipper’s effort took a deflection to beat the helpless David Raya in Arsenal’s goal. The scores were level for barely two minutes, however, as Arsenal won a corner and Trossard’s dangerous delivery found Saliba, who nodded home from a yard out. Zinchenko made it 3-1 with an improvised volley after Burnley failed to clear a corner. “Take nothing away, we played a fantastic side. The way Mikel has the team working is outstanding. “For putting in the performance we did, we’re relying on other factors like luck or individual moments but on the two set plays that wasn’t the case,” Kompany said. Vieira saw red for a high boot when he caught Brownhill on the knee but Arteta had no issues with the decision after criticising the officials following his team’s 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United. “Tough place to go. We defended very well for the majority of the game. The timing of the first goal kills us. “When we go level second half, you don’t want to concede straight away after. They are stupid goals for us,” Brownhill said. In other games, struggling Manchester United beat Lutton FC 1-0 at Old Trafford while Wolves stun Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in a thrilling encounter.
Kiddwaya kicked out of ‘BBNaija All Stars’ as 4 fresh contestants join
In a surprising twist on the ongoing Big Brother Naija ‘All Stars’ edition, Kiddwaya, a prominent housemate, has been evicted from the competition. Simultaneously, the show welcomed the entry of four new contestants, marking a pivotal moment in the reality series. The announcement of Kiddwaya’s eviction was made by the show’s charismatic host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, during the live Sunday eviction episode. It was revealed that both Kiddwaya and Tolanibaj had garnered the least number of votes for the week, leaving their fate hanging in the balance. During the same episode, Saskay, Elozonam, and Vee, who constituted the week’s jury, came together to save Tolanibaj from elimination, leading to Kiddwaya’s departure from the house. Kiddwaya’s eviction was determined by a slim margin, with him receiving 1.95 percent of the votes and Tolanibaj securing 2.03 percent. In his post-eviction remarks, Kiddwaya expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of the dynamic house, describing the experience as “crazy.” He acknowledged his intention to forge new friendships and conveyed optimism about his upcoming projects. Kiddwaya assured his fans of upcoming ventures that would keep them engaged and entertained. Following the eviction, the competition took an unexpected turn as Big Brother introduced four fresh contestants into the house. Prince Nelson, Kim Oprah, Lucy, and Omatshola, all of whom were past participants from previous editions, joined the existing housemates. This infusion of new blood is anticipated to bring fresh dynamics and increased excitement to the show. Ebuka Obi-Uchendu had hinted earlier in the eviction episode that the introduction of ex-housemates into the current season was on the horizon. He highlighted that the newly introduced contestants would have the opportunity to partake in various house activities, including the head of house challenge and wager tasks. However, these entrants will not be eligible to compete for the ultimate cash prize, setting a unique and intriguing tone for the coming episodes.
Various prizes up for grabs in BUA Cement’s #WinWithTheKing promo
As part of efforts to promote sales and reward brand loyalty, BUA Cement has launched its #WinWithTheKing promo. The #WinWithTheKing promo is the first of its kind by BUA since it was established. The promo which is expected to run for 83 days will see users of BUA Cement winning the company’s branded T-shirts, rechargeable lamps, TV sets, Generator sets, tricycles for carrying cement, and Android phones. Also, there is N16 million for 16 end users to win while the grand prize is a MG executive saloon car. Unveiling of the promo on Thursday in Abuja, the Managing Director of BUA Cement, Engr. Yusuf Haliru Binji, said it was time that the company rewarded its loyal customers, launch sales and build brand awareness. Binji, who was represented by the Chief Financial Officer, Jacques Piekarski, said the promo is a way of showing its customers that they are important stakeholders to the giant stride the company is recording. He said: “With this promo, we want to reward our loyal customers, launch sales and build brand awareness. “We take a lot of courage to deal with our customers, nd distributors, they are very important to us and we take them seriously and we work hard to satisfy them and also to support them. “It’s important to have them loyal to us and also in line with the expansion of the company we need to ensure that our customers are going to continue with us and we need to reward them for that. We need also to use this to sustain our sales and continue to build our brand.” While stressing that the BUA brand has over time been proven to be the best, Binji said with the two new production lines starting operation by the first quarter of 2024, the company would be adding an additional 6 million to its daily production capacity. “Currently, we are building two factories in Sokoto and Okpella, this will add 6 million from the beginning of next year, and we will have a total production capacity of 17 million a day. This is thanks to you customers for without you there will be no expansion,” he added. On his part, Director Marketing and Sales Nasir Ladan, reiterated that the promo is part of efforts to sustain sales and improve its market visibility. According to him, the #WinWithTheKing, is the frst in a series of promos that the company has lined up for the benefit of its customers. The objective of the promo is actually to reward our loyal customers and also sustain our sales, and our brand visibility, that is basically the objective of the promo. All the end users are eligible; those that are exempted are BUA cement staff, their relatives, and all those that have a role to play in the organisation of this sales promo. Every other use, every other stakeholder is eligible to play. “The target is actually the end users and all those who have one thing or the other to do with BUA cement. “The users of our cement are going to benefit from it,” he explained.
AfroBasket: D’Tigress bounce off Mozambique, advance to semi-finals
Nigeria’s D’Tigress on Wednesday in Kigali, Rwanda extended their winning streak in Africa to 22 straight wins by over-running Mozambique 59-52 to advance to the 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket semi-finals. The hard-earned win means the Nigerian senior women’s national basketball team will now meet hosts Rwanda in Thursday’s semifinal. Mozambique led at the break, after 18-16 and 15-13 wins in the first and second quarters, but Nigeria overcame their lethargy to eventually turn the tables around. They outscored Mozambique 18-10 in the third quarter to set the tone for claiming the win, before a close 12-9 win in the fourth and final quarter. With Nigeria trailing by four points at half-time, they had to rally and find a way to get back into the game. When the opportunity occurred, Elizabeth Balogun seized the moment to help Nigeria tie the contest at 40-40. Amy Okonkwo then gave the reigning champions a short but solid advantage, before Ifunaya Okoro scored from behind the arc to give Nigeria the lead definitely. Mozambique tried to fight back, but they met a resilient and combative Nigeria. Okonkwo chipped in 17 points, Balogun contributed 12 points, and Sarah Ogoke finished just one point shy from a double-digit. Nearly every Nigerian ended the game with at least two points to their credit. However, what saved Nigeria was the depth of their bench, which produced 22 of the 59 points Nigeria needed to see off Mozambique. Nigeria also made the difference on free throws ratio, having 14 for 18 free throws which gave them the edge over Mozambique who had 16 from 24 attempts. The D’Tigresses also out-rebounded Mozambique 51-43, by being more active on the defensive side with 38 boards. But ironically, the game’s best rebounder was Mozambique’s Tamara Seda. With this win, Nigeria have also sent a message to hosts Rwanda that they will be tough nuts to crack, ready and focused on getting a fourth title in a row. Speaking after the game, Nigeria guard Sarah Ogoke said while their opponents were good her team was better and deserved their win. “Mozambique are a great team, and credit to them for putting up such a game. But we stayed together and we made it through,” she said. Looking ahead to their semi-final fixture, Obote said: “We’re going to be playing against the stadium, against the fans, against the entire country. “So it’s going to be very difficult. We will try to get us to Saturday’s final and to the 2024 Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT). “We definitely have what it takes to make it four titles in a row and we have a way of making things happen. And we’ll find a way.”
FIBA Afrobasket: Nigeria’s D’Tigress maul Egypt, berth quarter-final
The Nigerian senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, demonstrated their prowess once again in the ongoing 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket tournament, securing a convincing victory against Egypt and booking their spot in the quarterfinals. On a Sunday showdown at the BK Arena, D’Tigress unleashed their determination to clinch an unprecedented fourth consecutive continental title. They proved their mettle by outplaying Egypt with a resounding 83-65 triumph, ensuring their early qualification to the last eight stage of the tournament. The match witnessed D’Tigress taking control from the outset, gaining an 18-10 lead in the first quarter and extending it further in the second quarter, finishing with a commanding 24-13 advantage. However, the third quarter saw Egypt make a valiant effort to narrow the gap, securing a 19-14 win in that period. As the tension escalated in the fourth quarter, the North Africans fought desperately to regain ground. Yet, D’Tigress exhibited unwavering determination, maintaining their composure and sealing the game with a strong finish. The final quarter ended with a score of 27-23 in favor of D’Tigress, sealing their comprehensive victory at 83-65. The standout performance came from Amy Okonkwo, who led the scoring with an impressive 29 points and 13 rebounds, steering D’Tigress to their well-deserved triumph and securing their spot in the quarterfinals. Murjanatu Musa also shone brightly with her valuable 18-point contribution, while Nicole Enabosi added 10 points to her name, registering double figures. This win marks Nigeria’s third consecutive victory over Egypt, following their previous triumphs in 2015 and 2017. The Nigerian team’s dominant performance has undoubtedly solidified their reputation as a formidable force in women’s basketball in Africa. With Nigeria safely advancing to the quarterfinals, Egypt and DR Congo will now face a challenging qualifying round to determine if they can join Nigeria in the next stage or head back home.