Inside The English Premier League Week 2

It’s back and we’ve all missed it, yes, we’re talking about the English Premier League! Another season is underway and we’re already in week 2. It’s another shot at glory for some, while for others, it’s a battle to remain in the top flight. Messi may not be here, but no one can argue that the EPL is still the most entertaining league in European football. Missing out on the action? Say no more! Just visit ppp.vtpass.com now to renew your Cable TV subscription and get plugged in to your world of sporting action. Meanwhile, here’s what happened in week 2.

Men Against Boys As Chelsea Schools Arsenal At Home.

One thing was glaring, Chelsea is not Arsenal’s mate. Firstly, Chelsea has 2 Champion’s League trophies over Arsenal who have none. Secondly, Arsenal were completely played off the field here, with Lukaku playing like a man on a mission, bringing back memories of Didier Drogba against Arsenal. The sad thing is that we all saw this coming, despite Arsenal’s bright start to the game. It was the same old story, with the Arsenal team starting off sharp but unable to maintain their intensity. This Blues are a team on a mission while Arsenal faces the possibility of going into the international break bottom of the table as they face last season’s champions, Manchester City next.

United Equals Away Unbeaten Record But Silverware Is Always Better

It was mixed feelings for Manchester United as they came from behind to claim a point against The Saints. It extended their away unbeaten run to 27 games (a joint record) but also scuppered the start to the season they would have wanted following their 4 – 0 win in the opening game. The draw also doesn’t help their bid to keep Paul Pogba. Pogba has started the season in record breaking form, bagging 5 assists in 2 games. United’s star man is yet to extend his contract beyond 2022 and has stated he prefers trophies to records. Ouch. Shots fired, United. Point taken (pun intended)

5-star City Bounce Back In Style

City fans got their smile back as they bounced back from an opening day defeat at Tottenham. They trounced newly promoted Norwich City 5 – 0, with record signing Grealish also getting off the mark. This is how we are used to seeing Guardiola’s Manchester City, winning, with huge score lines.

It’s just week 2 but this English Premier League season already promises loads of entertainment as there were wins for Liverpool and Tottenham also. That is where VTpass comes in. Make your Cable TV payments, pay electricity bills and buy airtime and data so you can pepper your friends as your team performs well, or be peppered if you’re on the receiving end. Whatever your payment needs, VTpass has you covered!

2021 AFCON Qualifiers Predictions

2020 has certainly not been the best year for football lovers as tournaments and fixtures had to be shifted. Nevertheless, the return of AFCON Qualifiers is enough to lift spirits, especially in African football where fans relish the sport.

AFCON Qualifiers began on 11th November 2020 with Guinea beating Chad in the opening match and Senegal punching a 2-0 blow on Guinea-Bissau.

afcon qualifiers predictions

Yesterday, 12th November was a goal feast for AFCON fans as Cameroon chunked out 4 goals against Mozambique’s 1. Current reigning champions, Algeria, walked over Zimbabwe easily with a 3-1 victory.

Nigeria takes the pitch today, 13th November 2020 against Sierra Leone by 17:00 CAT; and at 20:00 CAT, bafana bafana of South Africa would clash with Sao Tome and Principe. But the most exciting clash of the week rests on the match between Egypt and Togo, Saturday 14th November!

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That said, here are our AFCON Qualifiers predictions. Prediction of teams who would make it to AFCON 2021.

2021 AFCON Qualifiers Predictions | Teams to Qualify

A tournament graced by 24 teams all competing for Africa’s Champions Crown would definitely be fierce, but you can expect to see these 12 juggernauts on the pitch come 2021:

  • Algeria: The current Champions are fast and deadly, recently taking the throne, and wouldn’t be giving it anytime soon.
  • Egypt: The Pharaohs are AFCON’s most successful champions with 7 titles to their name. Of course, they would make a show.
  • Senegal: With players like Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy, and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, Senegal is expected to make it.
  • Nigeria: Super Eagles of Nigeria have qualified for AFCON year-on-year, 2021 shouldn’t be different. Among them, a gang of young stars.
  • South Africa: Africa’s most exciting flags to watch wouldn’t miss it. The bafanas are composed of bright players home and away.
  • Cameroon: Not very consistent over the last few years, Cameroon is yet deadly enough to secure a spot.
afcon qualifiers predictions
  • Ghana: Nothing short of strength is to be expected of the Black Stars of Ghana.
  • Morrocco: Another brilliant team from northern Africa. Last competition, they put up a fight. 2021 shouldn’t be any different.
  • Rwanda: This might come as a surprise to many but Rwanda has been undergoing major sporting changes. Experts predict the result of their sporting project to show in AFCON 2021.
  • Ivory Coast: They are not called Elephants for nothing! Besides, the orange shirts make a colorful divergence from all the greens and yellows.
  • Kenya: When a squad of strong legs is on the ship, you just know they would roll through. Kenya would make 2021 AFCON.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, there is still the qualifiers to play after all. So put on your football socks, subscribe your GOtv, DStv, or Startimes, relax into the games, and enjoy the matches!

Surprises as the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2020/2021 Season Opens

On Tuesday 29th October, and Wednesday 21st October, the first leg of the 2020/2021 UEFA Champions League season playoff. We witnessed the return of Europe’s most thrilling football competition and the art of top soccer athletes.

The group stages of the tournament began with surprises and might just end with some more. In this article, we go over some of the unexpected match results from the UEFA champions league 2020/21 opener and matches to watch out for in the group stage:

champions league 2020/2021

Paris Saint Germain vs. Manchester United

Perhaps the only surprise from this encounter was the fact that PSG could still lose to Manchester United after their performance last season. The men from Paris made it to the finals last season but fell behind to Bayern Munich in a 1-0 contest.

Two seasons ago, Manchester United beat PSG 1-3 at the Parc des Princes stadium; everyone thought the Parisians would make a statement in this match with a win. But they fell behind 2 goals to 1 to the Reds.

Chelsea vs. Sevilla

Ok, not much surprise, but here is a match where a 300 million Euro Chelsea squad faces a firepower Sevilla and it ended 0-0. Fans were left a bit disappointed and so are we.

Real Madrid vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

Real lost 0-1 to newly-promoted Cadiz last week in La Liga Santander; so it came more like a shock when Shakhtar put them 2-3 to the sword again at home.

Fans all over social media brought Real Madrid’s manager Zinedine Zidane under fire. But we feel the manager can only do much. With these results, Real Madrid needs a total squad rethink.

champions league 2020/2021

Pretty much every other game produced expected or near results, especially Bayern Munich who pounded Athletico Madrid 4-0 as a warning of their intent to retain the European Champions crown.

Now, let’s see the top group matches that you can’t afford to miss:

  • Barcelona vs Juventus: The long-awaited Messi vs. Ronaldo meeting after 3 years since Christiano Ronaldo left La Liga would finally happen. Twice!
  • Athletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich: The Germans already drew first blood with their 4-0 victory over their Spanish rival. But all roads lead to the Wanda Metropolitano for the return leg.
  • Manchester United vs PSG: Neymar and Mbappe have still got a chance to prove to Europe that Manchester United is not superior to the entire French football.
  • Sevilla vs Chelsea: The return leg of this encounter would hold at Seville and we can’t wait to see it! Perhaps, this is one of the most anticipated encounters after Barcelona vs Juventus.
  • Real Madrid vs Inter Millan: These two giants would meet in the third week of the tournament. A big one. We would get to finally see Zidane take on Conte in a European competition.

To catch all these actions live on your television, subscribe your GOtv or DStv with VTpass, either on the web or mobile app. We’ve got you covered!

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Champions League Resumes 7th August, Finally

When major football leagues (EPL, La Liga, Seria A, and Bundesliga) resumed; fans got their tint of hope of possible Champions league resumption. Although the date of resumption was announced by UEFA 3 months ago, the feeling of ‘it’s finally here!’ can’t be really shaken off.

After a five-months hiatus due to the global pandemic, the UEFA Champions League and Europa League resume August 7th, 2020 in order to play out the pending matches of this troubled season. 

champions league

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However, things would take a different shape. UEFA set out two mini competitions to solved the puzzle of travelling amidst the pandemic. Uncompleted round of 16 matches would be played out in host stadiums on 7th and 8th of August. Then from 12th August, all roads lead to Lisbon, Portugal where quarter-final matches would be played in knockout form. Oops, no home and away.

Here’s a timeline of UEFA Champions League activities:

  • 7-8 August: Round of 16-second legs (host home stadiums)
  • 12-15 August: Quarter-finals (Lisbon)
  • 18-19 August: Semi-finals (Lisbon)
  • 23 August: Final (Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Lisbon)

So put on your soccer shoes, yank out the popcorn and enjoy. Major round of 16 ties includes:

  • Barcelona vs Napoli: It was honors when this two first met in a 1-1 draw at Naples. The Spanish giants would be at home advantage when they host Napoli at the Camp Nau
  • Manchester City vs Real Madrid: Current Spanish champions fell at home to City in the firs encounter. They face an uphill task coming back against Gurdiola’s men at the Etihad.
  • Juventus vs Lyon: Lyon leads 1-0 in this encounter. The men from Turin would be better prepared to host their opponent who play away this time around.
  • Bayern vs Chelsea: This is perhaps the center of attention. With Chelsea trailing 3-0 from the first leg; it’s looking bleak for the Blues when they finally face Bayern in Germany.

It’s really juicy as it sounds, we can’t wait! You can latch unto the action by subscribing your GOtv, DStv, or Startimes now. Don’t be told of what’s going down. And when you’re not watching football, relax into the drama of the on-going Big Brother Naija Season 5!

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Football Returns! Official Resumption Dates of Major Leagues

The past three months have been horrible for the world of football due to the global pandemic. The king of sports was suspended in many leagues globally, pending the die down of Coronavirus, and fans just can’t wait for its resumption.

Our fight over Covid-19 took a winning edge two months back, enough to allow the resumption of minor economic activities as well as sports world over. Since then, football fans have been looking over their shoulders expectantly.

Major leagues are officially scheduled to resume at several dates in the month of June! German Bundesliga officially resumed on May 16 and gave everyone a headstart of what to expect from post-pandemic football:

football resumption

How Football might be different post-pandemic

  • No fans in the stands. Football resumption would see matches been played behind closed doors. Only players, team staffs, technical people, news crews, police, stadium workers, and a few others would be allowed into stadiums on match days.
  • Sanitization before substitution. It’s weird but players coming into an on-going game might have to sanitize themselves before stepping on the pitch. The usual hand-claps or embraces between the out-going and incoming players would stop for now.
  • Wearing face marks. The opening derby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke had players on the bench putting on face masks and sitting two feet away from each other. This protective measure can equally apply to other leagues upon resumption.
  • Solo goal celebration. Goals make football and celebrating them adds to the fun. However, players may be advised to keep from touch/contact styles of celebration as seen from Haaland’s goal against Schalke.

Official Resumption dates of Major Leagues

Now to the main gist, here are dates of football resumption for the top 3 European leagues:

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football resumption

English Barclays Premier League (EPL)

Known as the king of European football, the EPL is set to return on June 17 with a heavyweight match in the offing: Manchester City Vs Arsenal! Eyebrows are raised as to how the first EPL match after over 90 days would look like.

Liverpool FC is top of the table and with just 3 wins away from the trophy, the famous league action is set to focus more on the adrenaline run among clubs for top four Championship League qualification!

Spanish La Liga Santander

Favorite among lovers of technical gameplay, La Liga would make an earlier return than the EPL. The famous, hotly contested derby match between Real Betis and Sevilla would restart the league on June 11.

Defending champions Barcelona are two points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of the table with 11 matches remaining.

The top-4 quest is tighter than ever this season with Real Sociedad, Sevilla, Getafe, and Athletico de Madrid all punching hard for a place in 2021 Champions League!

Italian Seria A

Everyone would understand if Seria A authorities decide to terminate the unfinished 2019/20 season, but that’s not the case. Lovers of tactical defensive football can smile with relief as Seria A action would return on 20th June.

The announcement was made by the country’s sports minister, Vincenzo Spadafora. With leaders Juventus just one point clear second-placed Lazio, there are still a lot of title-claiming actions to see.

football resumption

UEFA Champions League

We decided to save the best for the last. While fans of different leagues are excited at the return of their favorite football, all eyes are itching to see the completion of the top-flight competition.

When Athletico de Madrid performed a stunt against Liverpool at Anfield in a match that saw them win 3-2, fans simply knew the 2019/2020 Champions League was set to provide top entertainment in the final rounds.

We would have to wait longer as UEFA announced that the Champions League would likely resume on August 7-8.

The French Ligue Un was ended with PSG announced winners while the Dutch Eredivisie was named null: no winners, no relegations.

football resumption

To catch all of the footballing actions returning, subscribe your GOtv, DStv, or StarTimes decoder. Don’t wait to be told of the showdowns.

News: Changes in the MultiChoice prices and bouquets

Top-up your mobile data for any network (MTN, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile, or Smile) to stay in touch with the latest happenings as regards football resumption.

See you on the action side!

PREMIER LEAGUE: THE UPS AND DOWNS

Have you been skipping on the happenings of the English Premier League as it unfolds on the field? Then you are missing out on a lot of fun. Catch up on the subsequent matches by logging on to ppp.vtpass.com and renewing your cable TV subscription now. In the meanwhile, you would want to know what has been in vogue for the past weeks.

  1. Chelsea receives thrashing at home

For their very first match, Chelsea receives a brutal 3-2 defeat at the hands of Burnley FC. Sean Dyche, the manager of the winning club, proves that last year’s failure does not limit this year’s success. But more than this, many have hinged on this defeat saying it is more of a sign that Antonio Conte has lost his victory formula, and he is gone from being the fierce Teflon Don manager to being an unrecognisable complacent coach. Thibaut Courtois justifies this defeat, though, as a consequence of freak absences. By freak absences, he meant the shocking red cards flagged up for captain Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas. Diego Costa’s so-called exile can also be included as a resultant factor. This sped up the victory of Burnley,  getting Chelsea off to a humiliating start.

Marcus Alonso makes a big break this premier league
THE STAR MAN IN TOTTENHAM’S VICTORY

  1. Chelsea wins, the Spurs start low

Thibaut Courtois was proven right when he called Chelsea’s defeat to Burnley a wakeup call. Chelsea, in their consequent match with Tottenham Hotspur, showed they had come back stronger from their defeat. Not only did they beat Tottenham Hotspur in the match that ends with a 2-1. But they on a retaliatory note banked this victory at the Spur’s Wembley home.

All credit, however, goes to Marcus Alonso, the daring defender who brought the double to fruition. He is indeed the man of the moment. And his win is even more endearing against his unpleasant background. He was considered a mere glitch in Real Madrid. And most thought he didn’t have the guts of a Chelsea player.

This perception of him, however, is about to fizzle out. If it already has not faded away by now. While he only created goals in the past, taking little credits here and there, he has come upfront to being an indispensable scorer. The twist to this is that talks of his being replaced by other high profile players, specifically Juventus’ Alex Sandro and Tottenham’s Danny Rose had pervaded the air. But with the stunt he pulled against the Spurs, Conte will have to rethink the decision of dispensing with him. Or even forget he ever thought about it.

  1. The new ‘unstoppable’ for this Premier League

Stunning 4-0 victories in two consecutive games! Call it chance games, call it sheer luck, however way you decide to see it, this is definitely worth calling remarkable. If you have been in tune with the Super Sports channels on your DStv, GOtv and Startimes decoders, you would relate to the fact that Manchester United are digging deep for the title this season in more dynamic ways than expected. Not only have they demonstrated athletic acumen in their games against West Ham United and Swansea FC, they have also discovered new premier league goalscorers.

THOSE WHO MADE IT HAPPEN

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 110 YEARS, MAN UNITED GET OFF TO A GREAT START IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE
MAN UNITED REJOICE OVER CONSECUTIVE VICTORY

PAUL POGBA STUNS AS ALWAYS IN THIS PREMIER LEAGUE
PAUL POGBA- THE MAN OF THE MATCH

Paul Pogba has been described the man of these matches, even joining the exclusive list of Manchester United’s exceptional scorers who ended one season with a goal, and the very next with a goal too (as seen in his stunning goal in the match against West Ham). Another is Anthony Martial, who has started out on an excellent note this season by scoring two goals in two games. New upstart he may be, but he seems to be blending well on the field with the likes of Romelu Lakaku and Paul Pogba. It was their rueful synergy that offset the three goals produced in just four minutes at the Swansea’s Liberty Stadium.

Another is Anthony Martial, who has started out on an excellent note this season by scoring two goals in two games. He seems to be blending well on the field with the likes of Romelu Lakaku and Paul Pogba. It was their awesome synergy that offset the three goals produced in just four minutes at the Swansea’s Liberty Stadium.  While Jose Mourinho insists that Marcus Rashford still has to learn how to adapt to difficult situations and hostile treatments from rival fans, it is evident that the young chap has gotten off to an impressive start this season.

TRANSFER SUCCESSES

ROMERU SHOWS STUNTS IN THIS YEAR'S PREMIER LEAGUE
ROMELU LAKAKU- ONE OF THE TRANSFER SUCCESSES

Jose Mourinho has a lot to boast about his shrewd choices and bargains in the pre-season market. The inclusion of new players like Nemanja Matic, Romelu Lakaku and Victor Lindelof has proven to be quite tactical moves. Romelu Lakaku, on his part, is a perfect example of how a faithful never strays far from his master. During Mourinho’s stay at Chelsea, he was an abiding presence before he was transferred to Everton. Now back with Mourinho in Manchester United, he is proving to be just the striker that Manchester United needs. It would indeed appear that Manchester United is the new unstoppable for this English Premier League.

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