“Arsenal will not win the EPL, it’s between Liverpool and the Manchester teams” – Mourinho

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, has claimed that the Premier League will be won between the Manchester teams and Liverpool.
Arsenal are currently on top of the log, one point ahead of Manchester City, as the league reached its mid-way point this weekend.
Ahead of the clash between the Blues and Liverpool who are in fourth, Mourinho has declared that the visitors will be in the mix, especially since they don’t play in Europe this season.
Mourinho said: “At this moment, everybody’s there. It’s Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and City in the top four.

“This year the pressure will be not just to win the title, but to get top four. I think it’ll be hard.
“If I have to say, and I know you’d like me to say, Manchester City are the big, big, big favourites.
“Liverpool are on holidays for the whole season, one week to prepare a match, play the match, one more week to prepare the next match, which is an unbelievable advantage.
“And Manchester United, in spite of being a few points behind, are the reality of the last years.
“Leave us there, behind them. We’ll try and do our job and finish top four.
“Arsenal are like us. They play in the Champions League. They are trying to improve from the last few years. For many years they’ve not been at the top of the league.
“Chelsea were 25 and 14 points off the leaders in the last two years. For us and Arsenal we have to try and do our best.”

22 clubs for 2013 “Mark D Ball” basketball tourney

22 basketball clubs comprising of 12 male and ten female teams will compete at the 2013 edition of “Mark D Ball” basketball tournament.

ASPAC of Cotonuo who ended up runners-up at last year’s edition top the list of those competing in the Male category.
The twelve male teams will participate and operate a grouped round robin format with the top two in each group heading into the play-off.
ASPAC is joined in Group A by Apa Flames of Otukpo, Braves of Makurdi, Full Force of Abuja, Bethlehem of Otukpo and Pioneers Reunion of Port Harcourt.
Veterans of Abuja leads Group B which also includes; Suba Sharp Shooters of Suleja, Blazers of Otukpo Falcons of Ilorin, EFX of Jos and ESPN.
Again, ASPAC of Cotonou (female team) joined by First Deepwater and Pearls of Lagos state leads other seven teams in the female category.
ASPAC will compete in Group A with Rockers of Jos, Apa Queens of Otukpo, Bayelsa Patriots of Yenagoa and FCT Angels of Abuja while Impression of Asaba, Pearls, Sweeties of Makurdi, AHIP of Kano and First Deepwater will dunk it out in Group B.
The roster released by the technical committee of the competition showed that games will begin at 3 to 10pm daily.
The children camp is slated to start at 8 to 11am of the first five days of the tournament.
More than 500 kids have been registered for this year’s edition of the children basketball clinic.
Initiator of the tournament, Igoche Mark said the 2013 edition will be better than the previous ones considering the quality of the teams participating and the increased number of kids who will take part in the clinic.
This year’s tournament will end on 31st December.

Boko Haram: ‘We are fighting a religious war against President Jonathan, Christians’ – Shekau

The Islamic militant, Boko Haram, on Friday, in a new video made available to newsmen in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, said the group is fighting a religious war against President Goodluck Jonathan and Christians.
This is contrary to the views of many that the group is not fighting a religious war.
According to leader of the group Abubakar Shekau, “This is to show our muslim brethren that victory comes from Allah. This is just a tip of the ice berg regarding the booty Allah has blessed us with, the booty, which took our brothers day and night to cart away.
“Our fighters stormed Bama (military) barracks. Allah threw them (troops) into confusion through some servants of Allah who dedicate themselves to Allah.
“Allah finished them. They bragged, they said whatever pleased them to the extent of claiming they have cleansed Bama, now that they have sticks-wielding vigilantes. Even Jonathan praised them, saying Bama are steadfast.
“It is in the same Bama that brothers pulverized 21 armoured tanks. People in multitudes were killed, bodies scattered all over. The sight would astonish any onlooker.
“Soldiers hid under blankets in their rooms and our fighters pursued them and blew out their brains.
“Had Allah allowed us to eat them we would have eaten them but we are not cannibals because we are not spirits or animals.

“As for killing, we will kill (for) Allah says we should decapitate, we should amputate the limbs, we should mutilate.
“This is a victory from Allah, that is why the title of this message is ‘Victory from Allah’.
“We were amazed by the victory in Damaturu, then a greater victory was achieved in Maiduguri and now Bama operation is better than Maiduguri. And tomorrow we will go to…(Laughter and shouts of Allahu Akbar in the background).
“By Allah, if you want to secure peace in this world, you should repent.
“My brethren, we should thank Allah. They try to brainwash the people that we are fighting an ethnic war. No, we are fighting a religious war, we are fighting Jonathan, we are fighting Christians.
“This is a bounty placed on me (brandishing a flyer with his picture), that whoever finds me, finds me and takes to Jonathan, will be given 50 million naira.
“What is 50 million naira. Do you know what we are doing? Your armoured tank is worth more than 50 million naira and we burn it. Haven’t we burnt your aircraft? What is 50 million naira. We do not worship money. As for he who is in our midst for money, Allah has taken care of him. Hypocrites who lived with the Prophet could not harm him. You can’t in anyway harm me.
“Even America has placed $7 million ransom (on my head) if you arrest and take me.
“It is difficult indeed. The way you hide Jonathan in Aso Rock and hide Obama in White House, so does Allah hide me under His protection. You are with Jonathan and Obama while I’m with Allah. Let’s play then