Author: Chronicle Editor

Former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has quit his post at Shanghai SIPG and will drive in the Dakar Rally from January. The Portuguese coach resigned from his post with the Chinese club after a year in charge and immediately announced he would take part in the two-week race, which starts on January 6. Villas-Boas, who has also managed Porto and Zenit St Petersburg, is following a family tradition after his uncle Pedro drove in the event in 1982. He is not the first celebrity to take part. French rocker Johnny Hallyday raced in 2002. Prince Albert of Monaco…

Raheem Sterling scored a dramatic late winner to help Manchester City beat Southampton 2-1 at the Etihad on Wednesday night and set a new club record of 12 Premier League wins in a row. City opened the scoring thanks to Kevin De Bruyne’s driven free-kick which somehow made its way into the back of the net 77 seconds after half-time. However, Southampton midfielder Oriol Romeu’s composed finish levelled matters 15 minutes from time, only for the home side to snatch all three points with the last kick of the game when Sterling curled home an exquisite winner. As a result,…

Mesut Ozil put in a starring performance as a blistering second-half display from Arsenal saw them enjoy a 5-0 win over Huddersfield at the Emirates. Alexandre Lacazette handed Arsenal an early lead (3) but the hosts failed to add to their lead before the break. Huddersfield had chances to level, but three goals in five minutes put the game beyond the visitors, with Olivier Giroud (68) and Alexis Sanchez (69) scoring from Ozil assists before the German added a fourth himself (72). Giroud then wrapped it up with a fifth late on (87) to ensure Arsenal’s perfect start at home…

A hat-trick from Wayne Rooney, including one sensational strike from inside his own half, helped Everton earn a 4-0 win over West Ham at Goodison Park, with Sam Allardyce looking on from the stands. Allardyce is due to be confirmed as the new Everton boss imminently, and he only had to wait 18 minutes to see Everton take the lead, as Rooney headed home after his penalty had been saved by Joe Hart. Then, 10 minutes later, it was two, as Rooney stroked the ball home after Tom Davies’ cross had rolled into his path. West Ham upped their game…

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte was ordered from the touchline as his side overcame struggling Swansea City at Stamford Bridge thanks to Antonio Rudiger’s first Premier League goal. Conte spent the whole of the second half watching from the stands after disputing referee Neil Swarbrick’s decision not to award a corner when the game was goalless. Chelsea dominated but had to wait until the 55th minute to find the breakthrough, Germany defender Rudiger heading home after N’Golo Kante’s shot was deflected into his path. Swansea did not have a shot on target as they fell to a fifth defeat in six…

Antonio Rudiger’s headed goal earned Chelsea a 1-0 victory over Swansea City on Wednesday, but the margin should have been far greater in a match that also saw Antonio Conte sent to the stands. Chelsea were in control from start to finish against a Swansea side who failed to muster a single shot on target, but they were left to rely on a somewhat scruffy Rudiger effort to claim a win that keeps the gap to second-placed Manchester United at three points. Conte was given his marching orders towards the end of the first half, when he lost his temper…

Independent petroleum marketers in Lagos State have threatened to withdraw their services from December 11 over NNPC’s breach of bulk purchase agreement to sell fuel to them at N133.28k per litre. The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Lagos State Chapter, on Wednesday said it was set for a showdown with NNPC over irregular fuel supply at Ejigbo satellite depot. The association said its members had been running their fuel stations at a loss in the last eight months due to NNPC’s default in the bulk purchase agreement it signed with IPMAN to sell fuel to its members at…

Human rights group, Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA) has expressed concern over the state of health of a serving policewoman, Ekaete Ekpo. The group through its national coordinator/convener, Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak, said it has submitted a second letter of appeal to the Lagos state Commissioner of Police and the Officer-in-Charge of the Public Complaints Bureau (PCB), over her health. The sick policewoman Inspector according to the group started fell ill while she was on duty at the Festac Police Division in Lagos. The group in an email said: “on January 4, 2013, while in office she fell sick and…

Economic Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will probe suspended director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mounir Gwarzo, who is facing at least two enquiries over his role as helmsman of the commission since 2015. Apart from the administrative enquiry ordered by the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, Gwarzo is also being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. EFCC wants to unravel the owners of the nine companies that were awarded contracts by the SEC under Gwarzo. They include Outbound Investment Limited, Medusa Investments Limited, Northwind Environmental Services, Micro-Technologies Limited, Tida International Limited, Outlook Communications, Acromac Nigeria Limited,…

The House of Representatives on Wednesday, kicked against the new local language policy proposed by the Nigerian Army on its officers. The House also urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai to stop the implementation of the policy. The House noted that the policy sought to compel all personnel to be proficient in three major Nigerian languages: Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba by December 2018. The resolution was sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion, sponsored by Rep. Abiante Dagomie and Rep. Diri Douye. Moving the motion, Dagomie reiterated the need for the Army to continue with…