Zlatan Ibrahimovic To Face 3-Match Ban After FA Press Charges Over Violent Conduct

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings have been charged with alleged violent conduct by the Football Association following separate incidents during the Premier League game between Manchester United and Bournemouth on Saturday.

The pair clashed shortly before half-time, with Mings seen to stamp on Ibrahimovic's head before the striker then caught his opponent with his elbow. Neither player was dismissed by referee Kevin Friend during the game.

A statement from the FA said the incidents "were not seen by the match officials at the time but caught on video."

It continued: "Furthermore, The FA has submitted a claim that the standard punishment that would otherwise apply for the misconduct committed by the Bournemouth defender is 'clearly insufficient.'"

Ibrahimovic and Mings have until 6 p.m. on Tuesday to reply to their respective charges.

If Ibrahimovic accepts the charge, he will automatically face a three-match ban, ruling him out of the FA Cup quarterfinal clash against Chelsea and subsequently the Premier League games against Middlesbrough and West Brom. 

If he chooses to contest it then the case will be heard by a panel before the end of this week and, if found not-guilty, he would be free to play against the Blues.

Disciplinary action is only applicable to domestic fixtures and therefore he will be available for the Europa League round-of-16 games against FC Rostov.

Ibrahimovic is United's top goal-scorer this season with 15 goals in 25 Premier League games and 26 goals in 35 appearances in all competitions.

Following the game, Ibrahimovic told the BBC: "Listen, what happens on the field stays on the field.

"I'm not someone who attacks someone off the field. You have the TV, you can see the images. I jump up and jump high and he jumps into my elbow."

Speaking on MUTV, he added: "Hopefully he is not injured. These situations happen. I go for the ball and I am unlucky that he jumps into my elbow. Nothing on purpose."

Mings, in an interview with Sky Sports, said he had not deliberately stamped on Ibrahimovic's head.

"Not at all. I would never do that," he said. "That's not in my game. Hard and fair is how I like to tackle but off the ball stuff like that isn't in my game.

"He [Ibrahimovic] is who he is, he's a good player, he's a physical player. I knew what sort of battle I was going to be in for coming here. And that's what we had all day, it was a battle.

"There was maybe an elbow when the ball came in after, I didn't see it, I felt it. But what happened after that with Surman getting sent off, I didn't see it."

Meanwhile, ex-Premier League referee Keith Hackett has slammed Friend's performance in the game as the poorest showing this season.

"Friend was like a rabbit in the headlights at United on Saturday and it was the worst refereeing performance in the Premier League this season, or even for some time," Hackett said.

"I will be absolutely gobsmacked if Ibrahimovic and Mings are not charged retrospectively but you cannot possibly ignore how poorly Friend performed in that

Apostle Suleiman In Sex Scandal, Dumps Pregnant Canadian Lover (Photos)

Auchi-based cleric Apostle Johnson Suleiman is back in the news for the wrong reasons not long after his spat with state agencies for allegedly inciting violence.

The law firm of Lagos-based lawyer, Festus Keyamo has written a letter to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on behalf of one Miss Stephanie Otobo, said to be Apostle Suleiman's lover, over her arrest on trumped up charges at the behest of Suleiman.

Otobo, described as a musician based in Ontario, Canada, who goes by the stage name of Kimora, was reportedly arrested on March 3 at a United Bank of Africa branch by heavily armed policemen from Federal Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Alagbon, at the Anthony Village area of Lagos.

The letter also alleged that Otobo had been denied food and access to her lawyers since her arrest.

The controversial cleric and the Canada-based singer were said to have met in 2015 after which they began a relationship when Apostle Suleiman telling her that he had divorced his wife and wanted more male children.

The cleric also allegedly made a marriage proposal to Miss Otobo, which she accepted after which they paid a visit to her family in Delta state.

In a letter dated 3rd March, 2017 by the law firm to demand the sum of N500m from Apostle Suleiman for breaching his promise to marry Miss Otobo, the cleric was reminded of his alleged habit of "licking Miss Otobo's body from her toes to her private part" any time they wanted to make love.

Apostle Suleiman was similarly accused of having sexual relations with Miss Otobo after his church programmes at a time she also selected his sermon topics.

Miss Otobo's lawyers also warned Apostle Suleiman to desist from threatening the life of their client who they claimed had naked pictures, raunchy text messages, bank statements, and other implicating items to show as evidence of their relationship.

 

According to Sahara Reporters, the relationship turned sour when Miss Otobo informed the fiery pastor that she was pregnant in September 2016.

 

The other pages of the letters to the cleric demanding the sum of N500m for his breach of the promise of marriage and to the IGP demanding the release of Miss Otobo can be seen below:

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