You wait years for any sort of talent, then two great ones come along at once. That’s the feeling among Dutch fans now, and among the scouts of clubs such as Barcelona and Manchester City who have become regulars in Ajax’s Johan Cruijff Arena. Matthijs de Ligt, Ajax’s central defender, looked a man among boys even when facing Manchester United in the 2017 Europa League final aged 17. Now, at 19, he’s Ajax’s captain and an automatic choice for Netherlands. His teammate Frenkie de Jong, 21, recently lit up his first international as a starter, away against France, by repeatedly…
Author: David Folami
Timo Werner’s wry smile after the final whistle at the Veltins-Arena betrayed a flurry of conflicting emotions, encompassing anger, optimism and regret. First of all, though, there was a sense of pride. The RB Leipzig striker had ample reason to be pleased with his own performance, having scored a fine opening goal after eight minutes and combined well throughout the evening with his equally pacy and impressive teammates — Bayern flyer Serge Gnabry and Manchester City’s Leroy Sane, who found the net not long after Werner. The young, dazzling trio’s mazy runs and high work-rate were key factors in Germany…
The LA Galaxy have denied reports in Italy that star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has accepted an offer to join Serie A side AC Milan, according to a source. A story in Tuesday’s La Gazzetta dello Sport reports the former Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain man has accepted a six-month contract to join Milan, with an option to extend the deal a further year. However, a Galaxy spokesperson said via text message that the reports were not true. Ibrahimovic, 37, signed a two-year contract with the Galaxy in March which won’t expire until December 2019. Last month, AC Milan technical director…
Real Madrid have yet to secure the permits needed to begin work on their €400 million renovation of the Bernabeu. Plans for the remodelling, to include a futuristic silver “skin” and extendable roof, were first announced by Madrid president Florentino Perez in 2004. Problems with funding and planning have meant the project has been put back on several occasions, but Perez said in May that work would begin early next year. However, a spokesperson for Madrid’s Sustainable Urban Development department said that the club’s latest plans contained issues that needed resolving. In August, the city’s Licensing and Consultation Service asked…
Argentina’s interim coach Lionel Scaloni doesn’t expect to continue in the job on a full-time basis and if he has one regret in his six games in charge it is that he didn’t get to coach Lionel Messi. Barcelona forward Messi has not played for Argentina since Russia 2018 and his international future is still up in the air, with La Albiceleste closing out the year against Mexico on Tuesday in Estadio Malvinas Argentinas. “Maybe not coaching Messi [has been] the only regret,” said Scaloni in a news conference on arrival at the team hotel in Mendoza. ” I’m convinced…
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has said he is in the market to buy a club in England. De Laurentiis, who completed the purchase of lower league side Bari earlier this year, is frustrated by the situation surrounding Napoli’s San Paolo stadium. The stadium is owned by the city, and De Laurentiis wants to renovate it. He has said that, if he is not allowed to buy it, he will take the club away and build a new ground elsewhere. He has threatened to move their Champions League fixtures to Bari and said the situation had led him to consider…
If a television documentary crew was given unfettered access to Diego Simeone’s house, it would be no shock to find he had a little wax effigy of Lionel Messi with big needles sticking out of it. Of course nothing drives this elemental competitor to distraction more than those two Champions League final defeats to Real Madrid in Lisbon and Milan, but if anything comes close, it’s the hex that Messi and Barcelona hold over him in La Liga and the Copa del Rey. Notwithstanding twice knocking them out of Europe, Simeone hasn’t won at home against Barca since signing for…
Nigeria and Uganda battled to a 0-0 draw in Tuesday’s friendly at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba as the Super Eagles’ underwhelming recent record against the Cranes continues. The East Africans have now extended their undefeated streak against Nigeria to three matches after holding the Eagles to only the second goalless draw of Gernot Rohr’s tenure. Nigeria made six changes to the side that secured qualification to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations at the weekend, and it was one of the new faces, Mikel Agu, who twice came close to winning the contest late on. However, the midfielder could…
Nigeria have renewed their equipment partnership with global sportswear manufacture Nike for the next four years, with an option for another four, NFF President Amaju Pinnick announced on Tuesday. The new contract could see the NFF committed to Nike until 2026, and comes in the wake of a successful partnership which saw the Super Eagles’ World Cup kit earn rave reviews across the world. “This four plus four deal is the best any African country has ever had with Nike,” Pinnick told the media, without going into figures but adding: “I can say it is about hundred percent better than…
Christian Pulisic became the youngest captain in the modern history of the U.S. soccer program when the 20-year-old was handed the captain’s armband for a friendly against Italy in Genk, Belgium. At 20 years, 63 days, Pulisic beat Landon Donovan, who was 22 years, 220 days when he first captained the Americans in a World Cup qualifier at El Salvador on Oct. 9, 2004, a match regular captain Claudio Reyna missed because of a quadriceps injury. Nine of the 11 starters on Tuesday night were 23 or younger, and the lineup’s average age of 22 years, 71 days set a…
Buruji Kashamu has emerged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State. His emergence followed the withdrawal of Adeleke Shittu, who was initially named the party’ s candidate. According to the lawmaker’s media aide, Austin Oniyokor, Shittu notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of his withdrawal on Friday, November 16, 2018. He added that PDP stakeholders in the state agreed that the Senator should contest for the governorship election to increase their chances of winning. Oniyiokor said, “The party’s stakeholders, leaders and elders met and decided that it would be better for Senator Buruji Kashamu…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the public endorsement that heralded the policy document of its Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is a confirmation that the document embodies the collective mindset, yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians. The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja on Monday said that the document represented the quest of Nigerians for a new leadership and a better life in the country. Ologbondiyan said Abubakar’s policy document offered solutions and practical direction for delivery in all sectors. “The Atiku Abubakar policy document is a product of very wide, painstaking and productive…
Atiku Abubakar has promised to create 3 million jobs for every year of his tenure if elected president in the 2019 presidential election. The former vice president disclosed this in his policy document made public on Monday, November 19, 2018. Under his Job Creation and Entrepreneurship Development plan, Atiku said his government would “target the creation of up to 3 million self and wage-paying employment opportunities in the private sector annually”. He said he would also “launch a new, more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable national Entrepreneurship Development and Job Creation Programme”, “target all categories of youth, including graduates, early school…
Presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, highlighted his rags-to-riches story as he unveiled his plan to fix Nigeria if elected. “I started out as an orphan selling firewood on the streets of Jada in Adamawa, but God, through the Nigerian state, invested in me and here I am today”, Atiku said in a 9-minute broadcast that was streamed live on Facebook. “If Nigeria worked for me, I owe it as my duty to make sure that Nigeria also works for you,” he said. Atiku served as Customs boss for many years…
Timi Frank has mocked the next level campaign of President Buhari. Buhari, on Sunday, November 18, 2018, launched a document containing his administration’s projections for the next four years tagged: The Next Level. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also lifted the ban on campaigns for the 2019 general elections on Sunday. According to Daily Post, Frank described the document as a fraud and advised Nigerians to disregard it. The former APC spokesman also said that the ruling party has no achievement to show, adding that embracing the next level campaign will be detrimental. He said “Under the Buhari/APC’s administration,…
Hajiya Titi Abubakar, wife of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, said she married her husband because of his honesty, sincerity and integrity. Mrs Atiku made the remarks when a group, Women for Atiku, paid her a courtesy visit at her Maitama residence in Abuja. “I get confused whenever I read the false allegations of corruption being peddled by mischief makers against my husband in the media. “I ask myself if they are referring to my husband whom I have been married to for 47 years or a different person. “No one knows my husband like I…
Chief Bode George has described the endorsement of Babajide Sanwo-Olu by billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, as shocking. Sanwo-Olu is the Lagos governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria’s governing party. In September, journalist Dele Momodu announced to the world that Otedola was going to run for the office of Governor of Lagos on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). “Breaking news: Lagos 2019 promises to be interesting. PDP offers Femi Otedola governorship ticket. He’s accepted and personally confirmed to The Boss newspaper”, Momodu shared on Twitter. Otedola neither confirmed nor denied Momodu’s disclosure. On Saturday, November…
The Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili For President organisation has released the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) presidential candidate’s official campaign photos. The Hope2019 campaign kicked-off officially on Sunday, November 18, 2018 with a thanksgiving service in Abuja. According to a statement sent to Pulse, Ezekwesili will also travel to her home state, Anambra, to officially get blessings from the royal father and other elders of her community. Speaking on their preparations, Aisha Yesufu, who is Director of Special Projects for the campaign, said “We are excited and we can’t wait. The best MAN for the job in 2019 is definitely…
Ditan Okupe, son of former presidential aide, Dr Doyin Okupe has called on his father to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). Ditan said this in a post which he published on Twitter recently. He said “I have said repeatedly that my decision was not based on revenge. I’m not even sure if my father is officially a pdp member or if he is actually on their campaign, but I will like to give my father @doyinokupe who I love, an open invitation to join the winning team now.” Ditan joined the re-election campaign team of President Buhari in November…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed Governor Aminu Tambuwal as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto state. This was made know to Vanguard by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye. According to Okoye, the PDP had earlier submitted the name of Manir Muhammad Dan’iya as its governorship candidate, but later substituted it with Tambuwal’s. Dan’iya will now be the running mate of the Sokoto state Governor in the 2019 election, the report states. Speaking further, Okoye “By the provisions of Section 35 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as…