Germany coach Joachim Loew described the Confederations Cup as ‘a gift’ in his side’s bid to defend the World Cup next year, ahead of Monday’s clash against Australia. Loew has left most of his World Cup-winners at home and brought an inexperienced squad, who have made just 179 international appearances between them, to Russia. With an average age of 24 years and four months, Germany have the most youthful squad of the eight Confederations Cup teams. Loew has rested all of the team which won the 2014 World Cup final, but insists the Confed Cup gives him the perfect platform…
Author: David Folami
Ivory Coast international Cheick Tiote, whose sudden death in China at just 30 years old shocked his country, was laid to rest Sunday as he was hailed a “worthy son” of the African nation. Tiote, a 52-time capped player who featured at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, was honoured with a military funeral at the Williamsville cemetery in Abidjan where hundreds of people gathered to mourn. “Ivory Coast has lost a worthy son who served so bravely, who fought to win and who gave everything on the pitch,” said sports minister Francois Amichia. Tiote died from a heart attack…
Cristiano Ronaldo will put speculation over his club future firmly to one side as he leads European champions Portugal into their Confederations Cup opener against Mexico in Kazan on Sunday. The 32-year-old Real Madrid superstar’s build-up to the tournament in Russia has been overshadowed after he was this week accused by prosecutors in Spain of defrauding the authorities of 14.7 million euros ($16.5m) in tax through offshore companies. Now the Madrid sports media is awash with headlines suggesting Ronaldo wants out of the Spanish champions, despite only signing a new contract through to 2021 in November. But for the next…
Florentino Perez will stay on as Real Madrid president until 2021, the European champions announced in a statement on Monday after no other candidates presented a bid to rival the incumbent before Sunday’s deadline. Perez, who began his second spell in 2009 and has overseen three Champions League wins in the last four years, has barely had to contend with any rivals for his post since the Liga club changed internal rules for presidential candidates in 2012. The alterations meant anyone aspiring to be president had to have been a member of Real for at least 20 years compared to…
Arsenal must spend more on wages if it hopes to keep players away from global competitors, former midfielder Emmanuel Petit told AFP on Friday, adding fans also needed to lay off embattled manager Arsene Wenger. It is 13-years since Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ won the last of his three Premier League titles and the club has just come through their worst season in two decades. Former French national Petit was at the heart of Arsenal’s glory days under Wenger, but he said fans risked fixating on that era without understanding the present. “I think that at times it has gone much too…
DANI ALVES has quashed rumours about his future following Gonzalo Higuain’s “goodbye” message. The Juventus star was recently interviewed on Brazilian TV where he was shown a video message from his team-mate. Higuain’s clip caused controversy when the Argentine declared that it had been a pleasure to play with Alves before saying goodbye. The striker said: “Dani, brother, what can I say? “A massive hello from me, you know how much I care about you. “It was a pleasure and an immense joy to share this year with you, winning titles along the way. “You know I hold you in…
The Belgium international, 29, had another fine season in Serie A last time out. Nainggolan netted 14 goals and chipped in with seven assists in all competitions for Roma. And according to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Roma are under pressure to sell their star players to meet Financial Fair Play rules. Mohamed Salah is expected to join Liverpool this summer, which could solve Roma’s dilemma. But Calciomercato say the Serie A side are willing to listen to offers for Nainggolan, with Chelsea and Manchester United keen. They reckon the EPL giants are eying the midfield maestro with Champions League football returning…
A big part of the love many have for DJ Khaled is his effortlessly cool and positive demeanor. Hell, we obviously love the guy too. He just seems like someone who won’t get bent about much. So we’re pretty sure he’s just fine with the fact that after he released the above video for his song “Wild Thoughts ft. Rihanna, Bryson Tiller,” some folks on the internet lost their minds over Rihanna’s see-through gypsy top. Mainly because with hi-def video, it’s pretty easy to not just see the Barbadian singer’s perfect assets, down to the bar through her pierced nipple.…
DJ Khaled is among the rappers who are celebrating their first Father’s Day as father. In the case of Jay Z, he recently became a dad of twins so this is really a special day for him. But there are plenty of fathers in hip-hop so it’s only right that dads go on social media to celebrate their greatest achievements — their children. Several artists went on Instagram and Twitter to celebrate Father’s Day. Rappers Freddie Gibbs, Ludacris, The Game, Redman and others honored fatherhood with sentimental tweets and photos. Meanwhile, R&B singers Ciara, Monica, Rihanna, Tank and Chris Brown…
Amber Rose loves to look like a sex kitten on Instagram. And the 33-year-old Philadelphia native did just that on Saturday by sticking out her tongue and her bottom in a series of pinup images. This comes just as the ex of Kanye West and Wiz Khalfia said she has not had sex this year. Last week she caused a frenzy with a very sexy photo to promote her third annual SlutWalk in October. The photo was removed by Instagram as it violated the company’s no-nudity policy. So she seems to like to go over-the-top online. And on Thursday she…
The UNICEF on Monday disbursed N53 million to 209 School Based Management Committees (SBMCs) for the improvement of girl-child education in Zamfara. Making the presentation at the Government House in Gusau, the Chief of UNICEF Sokoto Field office, Mr Mohammed Mohiuddin, said the fund was part of an intervention on Girl Education Project Phase 3 (GEP 3) by the UKAID/DFID and managed by the UNICEF. The project, he said, was designed to be implemented over eight years, from 2012 to 2020, during which one million additional girls were expected to be enrolled and retained in schools in the five states…
The World Health Organization (NAN) has released new advice on which antibiotics to use for common infections and which to preserve for the most serious circumstances. The advice is among the additions to the WHO Model list of essential medicines for 2017, which includes medicines for HIV, hepatitis C, tuberculosis and leukaemia. The updated list added 30 medicines for adults and 25 for children, and specifies new uses for nine already-listed products, bringing the total to 433 drugs deemed essential for addressing the most important public health needs. The WHO Essential Medicines List (EML) is used by many countries to…
Workers of National Orthopaedic hospital, Enugu, on Monday, called off their one month old strike. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that all health workers in the facilities except doctors had been on strike since April 24. The Chairman of the Joint Action Committee of Trade Unions (JACTU) of the hospital, Mr Cyprian Orjinta, announced the suspension of the strike in a statement made available to NAN in Enugu. “Following a successful meeting between the management of National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu and JACTU held on Thursday, May 25, which was followed by the Congress of the Union on May…
Inter Milan are attempting to spark a bidding war between Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain for Ivan Perisic in a bid to reach their £52million valuation for the Croatian. United boss Jose Mourinho is keen on signing the 28-year-old but the Red Devils have had one bid – believed to be in the region of £34m – turned down for the winger. Perisic is rumoured to have already agreed personal terms with the Old Trafford club and is privately adamant that he will be at the Theatre of Dreams next season. However, United’s bid is well below Inter’s valuation of…
Manchester United are reported to be readying an eye-watering bid comprising David de Gea and a cash sum in exchange for Real Madrid duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata. United are willing to place £183million on the table alongside their prized asset De Gea in order to tempt the Spanish giants into parting with two of their elite names, according to reports in Italy. Ronaldo is believed to want to leave Spanish football after becoming embroiled in tax-fraud speculation and perceiving a lack of support from his club as a result. The news of Ronaldo’s potential availability has put United…
Former Chelsea enforcer Michael Essien says Romelu Lukaku had a “good” relationship with Jose Mourinho and can see the pair working together again. The Everton striker is in demand, with Chelsea and Manchester United both eyeing a swoops for the Belgian striker. But as it was Mourinho who sold Lukaku for £28million back in 2014 when he was Chelsea boss, many have speculated that a reunion at Old Trafford is unlikely. That means former employers Chelsea are favourites to bring back Lukaku – but the fee could be as much as £70m. But Essien, who currently plays for Indonesian club…
Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay has said they are one of several teams interested in signing Adnan Januazaj from Manchester United. Januzaj, 22, spent last season on loan at Sunderland where he made 25 appearances in the Premier League as they were relegated but with one year left on his current contract he looks set to leave Old Trafford this summer. “It’s true that we are interested [in Januzaj] but we are not in talks with Manchester or with him,” Aperribay told reporters. “We are waiting for the decision of Manchester United and then we will act. There are more…
The Federal Government has renewed its commitment to support the West Africa Centre for Disease Control (WACDC) to enhance disease surveillance system in the region. The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, made this known at the opening ceremony of the 18th ECOWAS Assembly of Health Ministers in Abuja on Friday. Osinbajo said that access to healthcare remained a significant problem in the region and called for more efforts to control communicable and emerging health challenges in West Africa. He urged ECOWAS member states to ensure that the region was always prepared and not to be taken unaware by any outbreak…
Koker is not taking life too seriously in his newest single and visual ‘Wavy’. The Choc Boi takes it all in good faith. This song follows his last single ‘Bokiniyen’. Video was directed by Director Q. Enjoy.
Presenter Stephanie Coker is dishing out clear pointers on what her style will be when she walks down the aisle with her boo in coming months. The couple had their introduction ceremony in November 2016, and now, about seven months down the line, the bride-to-be is pretty clear on how she intends to slay and stun for the big day! “I’m a tomboy by nature but I don’t think that style will feature in my wedding because I won’t be able to wear my sneakers. “It’s the only day you get to be a princess; the only time you will have that…