Diego Maradona has claimed Colombia were victims of a “monumental robbery” in their World Cup round-of-16 defeat to England on Tuesday. Colombia lost 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, with Maradona echoing Colombia captain Radamel Falcao in accusing American referee Mark Geiger of favouring Gareth Southgate’s side. “The penalty was not a penalty — it was a foul by Kane,” Maradona told Venezuelan TV station Telesur. “Why didn’t he use VAR? “I’m reeling because when I spoke to [FIFA president Gianni] Infantino the first time, everything had changed at FIFA: the thieves had left, the fixes, everything. “And today…
Author: David Folami
Gernot Rohr turned 65 on Thursday, two days after his Super Eagles team suffered a gut-punch style elimination from the World Cup at the hands of perennial nemeses Argentina. What a perfect birthday present it would have been for the German if his team had managed to keep the Argentines at bay for a few minutes longer to seal a place in the World Cup round of 16. Instead, they were left ruing missed opportunities and packing their bags to head home, and Rohr was left to reflect on a somber day, as most of his players dispersed to various…
The gods of football are powerful entities. In Kazan on Friday, they recalled what happened the previous time that Brazil met Belgium in a World Cup. Back in 2002, in a round-of-16 game, Belgium appeared to have a perfectly good goal disallowed at 0-0. They went behind after a vicious deflection, and were probably the better side in a 2-0 defeat. And so the gods of football evened it up. In a splendid game that could have gone either way, Belgium got the breaks; the balls bouncing around their penalty area that just failed to find a Brazilian foot, the…
Jack Wilshere is in advanced talks with West Ham United over a move to the London Stadium, sources have said. Wilshere is a free agent after leaving Arsenal last month following the expiration of his contract at the Emirates Stadium. Fenerbahce are among several clubs to have expressed an interest in signing Wilshere, but sources have said that Wilshere would prefer to stay in the Premier League. The 26-year-old has held talks with West Ham officials who are confident about agreeing a three-year deal. There have been concerns over Wilshere’s fitness after a number of injuries during his time at…
Harry Kane has said Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi remain the benchmark for the world’s leading players, despite both being unable to inspire their countries to World Cup glory in Russia. England captain Kane, who leads the race for the World Cup Golden Boot with six goals, insists that Messi and Ronaldo are still the best in the business. “You can never write off Ronaldo or Messi,” Kane said. “They’ve probably not had the tournaments they set out to have, but they’re still two of the best players in the world. “For me and the other young players coming through,…
Sweden can beat England in Saturday’s quarterfinal and eventually win the World Cup in Russia if they can handle the pressure, former captain and record goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic has said. He said the stakes are getting higher in the knockout stages, but his nation stand a good chance after seeing off Switzerland in the round-of-16. “Now it’s not just about how good you are. Now there are a lot of emotions in the picture, because it’s about quarterfinals,” he said. “The team that can handle their feelings best will have an advantage. “Yes, I think Sweden can become world champion,…
Gianluigi Buffon has begun his new adventure with Paris Saint-Germain following 17 years with Juventus. Buffon, 40, signed a one-year contract with an option for an additional seasons, just weeks after he was expected to retire from football. Instead, he will resume his career outside of Serie A for the first time and be tasked with adding his significant experience to PSG as they continue to pursue Champions League success. “It is with a great feeling of happiness that I join Paris Saint-Germain,” Buffon said. “For the first time in my career, I am leaving my country and only a…
Dr Bukola Saraki has reiterated his confidence in the judiciary and its ability to do justice to all manner of men and in all circumstances. Saraki expressed gratitude to all Nigerians who supported him since the case commenced three years ago. “At the end of a tortuous journey of 1,018 days, counting from Sept. 22, 2015, when the case began at the Tribunal, I am happy that I have been vindicated. “The Supreme Court has affirmed that there is no evidence of false declaration of assets. “The court also observed that certain agents took over the responsibility of the Code…
Alhaji Ali Ndume has cautioned the media and the religious against making comments and publishing reports capable of heating up the polity. He said that some religious leaders, who ought to be promoters of peace of unity in the country, made inflammatory statements, and described it as disheartening. “It is of concern that people open their mouths and talk anyhow. “In Nigeria, people just talk to heat up the polity and they get away with it,” he said. The lawmaker accused the media of publishing reports that were capable of causing crisis. He blamed the development on influx of non-professionals…
Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to fish out and punish politicians he claims are behind some of the violence going on in the country. The president said the disgruntled politicians who have been fueling insecurity in the country will be punished according to the country’s laws. He said, “Our nation is safe again, thanks to the efforts of our security agencies. This does not mean there are no challenges. “There are pockets of violence in several states, some deliberately instigated by disgruntled politicians who have lost all arguments and are desperate to cause mayhem as a way of seeking relevance. “We…
Yemi Osinbajo has said that Federal Government had realised the need to fast track the implementation of all transport treaties and conventions it signed for economic growth. “We have also as a country realised the need to fast track the implementation of all the transport related treaties, conventions, protocol and agreements that were signed. “We are working with United Nations agencies and our transport, environment and petroleum ministries to promote clean air and fuel emission from vehicles. Osinbajo, however, commended the SSATP countries for selecting three states – Lagos, FCT and Calabar – for the pioneer urban mobility development. He…
There are indications that Dino Melaye, one of the vocal members of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in the Nigerian Senate has dumped the party for the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Embattled Melaye released a video on Twitter referring to his political party as jatijati – a local parlance in Yoruba language that deduces rubbish. Melaye’s message on Twitter is coming few days after Buba Galadima led aggrieved members of the ruling party, APC, to form the Reformed All Progressive Congress, R-APC. Senator Melaye, a close ally of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has been castigating activities of…
Atiku Abubakar has hailed the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on their victories at the Supreme Court on Friday. Abubakar in a statement issued by his media office on Friday, in Abuja, said the judgments had further affirmed the judiciary as last hope for the citizens. He commended the Supreme Court jurists for the unanimity in their judgment, saying that the development had further affirmed that the judiciary was the real bastion of equity and good governance in any society. “I believe this judgment has given hope to Nigerians, that the judiciary will always be fair…
Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has urged the media and party members to support his successor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. Odigie-Oyegun maintained that the APC was a party of change and that members should operate accordingly. “I want to thank you for supporting the APC and the National Working Committee (NWC). l will like to ask you to give the same support to the party’s new national chairman, my successor, Adams Oshiomhole. “Also, l will call on party members to give him all the necessary support as the national chairman of the party,” he said. Odigie-Oyegun, who was elected national chairman in 2014,…
Kassim Afegbua, the spokesman of the Reformed All Progressive Congress, R-APC, has said that the focus of the splinter group is to remain within the APC and rescue it from predators. Afegbua said that the R-APC was for now not concerned about joining any political party as that isn’t the splinter group’s main focus for now. “We haven’t gotten to that bridge yet. People are just trying to be preemptive. There is no discussion about party. We are poised to rescue our party first from the grip of political buccaneers and predators”, said Afegbua. The emergence of R-APC has sparked…
Mr Adams Oshiomhole has said the party would not allow any form of rigging in the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti. He alleged that Fayose got into office through election rigging using the instruments of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), then the party in power, but said that such instrument was no longer at the governor’s disposal. According to him, the APC has dismantled the PDP rigging instrument because as democrats, it does not want to copy such act. “For us, the PDP rigging machine is not something we want to copy; what we did was to dismantle it.…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the signing of Executive Order 6 as unconstitutional and a dangerous step towards a descent to fascism. Kola Ologbondiyan said “President Buhari’s unilateral Executive Order is a travesty of justice and rule of law, as it vehemently seeks to hijack and usurp the powers of both the legislature and the courts and vest it on himself so that he can use same at will, as a political instrument, to haunt, traumatize, harass and victimize perceived political opponents.” “PDP takes this Executive Order 6 of 2018 as a re-enactment of the obnoxious Decree 2…
The two musicians often featured on the same bill during the early stages of their respective careers Florence Welch has recalled how she felt upon seeing Adele perform for the first time, saying that she’d “never heard a voice” like Adele’s. The musician and leader of Florence + The Machine looked back on the early days of her career during a new interview in support of her recently-released fourth studio album ‘High As Hope’. Speaking to Radio X, Welch spoke about growing up in the London music scene alongside the likes of Kate Nash and Adele. “There was so many…
Future surprised his fans on Friday (July 6) when he dropped his Beastmode 2 mixtape. Like the internet always does, it came up with its own theories as to why the Freebandz boss chose that particular date to release it. Several Twitter users theorized it was a jab at Future’s ex, Ciara. Why? July 6 happens to be Ciara and Russell Wilson’s second wedding anniversary. But according to TMZ, Future waited to release it out of respect for Drake who unleashed Scorpion last Friday (June 29). Sources close to Future reportedly said he’d planned to drop the sequel to 2015’s…
Rihanna has failed to halt High Court proceedings brought against her by an Irish woman over alleged “malicious falsehoods” in an email and a phone call. Dana Kavanagh (43), Woodbank Drive, Valley Park, Finglas, Dublin is suing Rihanna under the name “Robyn Fenty aka Rihanna”, with an address at Lafayette Street, New York. Last month, Rihanna asked the court to set aside service of Ms Kavanagh’s proceedings on her at her New York home claiming it was not done in accordance with law. Ms Kavanagh opposed the application. On Thursday, Ms Justice Miriam O’Regan said she was satisfied Rihanna had…