Lucas Vazquez believes Real Madrid’s attacking trio of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo must step up their contribution in defence as the club aims to win La Liga for the first time since 2012. Madrid sit two points clear of Barcelona at the top of the table, while they need just a point at Sporting Lisbon on Nov. 22 to qualify for the Champions League round of 16. However, Los Blancos have kept just three clean sheets this season and given away a total of 18 goals in all competitions, including 10 in 11 league games. “A team…
Author: David Folami
Antoine Griezmann has told Goal he believes that Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy was one of last season’s top three players. The Atletico Madrid star said Vardy, whose outstanding form helped propel the Foxes to the Premier League title, deserved praise for his achievements. The former non-league striker scored 24 goals as the rank outsiders swept to a stunning success. And France international Griezmann, asked to name his leading three players of the year, said: “Cristiano Ronaldo first, as he’s won two titles. Then Lionel Messi, because he’s unique, and after that maybe Jamie Vardy for winning the English title…
Poland’s World Cup qualifier in Romania was delayed in the second half on Friday when a firecracker exploded near striker Robert Lewandowski. Play was halted in the 54th minute in Bucharest when the Bayern Munich star collapsed in his own penalty area after a firecracker was thrown onto the pitch. It exploded about a metre away from Lewandowski, who grabbed his face as he fell. After a lengthy delay, Lewandowski was unhurt and free to continue and he sealed Poland’s 3-0 victory with two late goals. Earlier, flares had been were thrown by the crowd immediately after kickoff, with one…
A Serge Gnabry hat trick helped Germany remain on top of Group C with an emphatic 8-0 defeat of San Marino at the Olimpico di Serravalle. The defending world champions scored early and often against the last-placed side, with Sami Khedira breaking the deadlock in the seventh minute. Gnabry quickly followed with his first two minutes later and Jonas Hector added a third in the 32nd. The goals kept coming after the break and Gnabry nabbed his second 13 minutes after the team talk. Hector had his brace seven minutes later and Gnabry completed his hat trick a quarter-hour from…
Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet scored to rally France to a 2-1 win at home against Sweden and open a three-point lead over their opponents in Group A. Emil Forsberg supplied Sweden with the lead in the 54th minute with a free kick from over 30 yards out that wrong-footed France keeper Hugo Lloris. But Pogba brought Les Bleus back level within three minutes when he headed home Payet’s free kick despite Albin Ekdal’s attempt to hold the Manchester United player down. And Payet put them ahead on 65 minutes, tapping home after Sweden keeper Robin Olsen mishandled the ball…
England cruised to a comfortable 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Scotland at Wembley on Friday, overcoming an uncertain start thanks to goals from Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana and Gary Cahill. The hosts led when Raheem Sterling’s blocked effort from the edge of the box fell to Kyle Walker, whose fine cross was headed home by Sturridge. Scotland were made to pay for some missed chances early in the second half, as Lallana guided a superb header home from an arrowed Danny Rose cross. Cahill was booked, meaning that he will miss England’s next qualifier, but that was forgotten soon…
Sixty percent of the 5.9 million children under five who died last year were in just 10 countries in Africa and Asia, an evaluation of global infant health revealed Friday. Pneumonia was the leading killer in five of them, all in Africa: Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania, said a study published in The Lancet medical journal. In Bangladesh, Indonesia, India and Pakistan, the main cause of death was preterm birth complications — also the global leader — while in China birth defects claimed most of the children who never made their fifth birthday. “Accelerated investment…
A lawyer, Kayode Ajulo has said that Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka could go to prison if he destroys his US green card. Ajulo gave the warning on Thursday, November 10, during an interview in Abuja. According to Ajulo, destruction of a green card would amount to willful destruction of government property and could attract a jail term of three to seven years. “I have no problem with Kongi; he is an opinion moulder, an elder statesman and nation builder, who should know the implication of such act,” he said according to Vanguard. “Under the American law losing or having…
Prominent lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay has condemned calls for the resignation of Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi. Sagay also criticized Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and John Okoro of the Supreme Court for accusing Amaechi of bribery instead of defending themselves against corruption allegations. “Two Justices of the Supreme Court affected by the DSS raids of October 8, 2016, have been quoted as stating that Minister of Transportation, Mr. Amaechi, once attempted to induce them to favour the APC in an election petition,” Sagay said. “This outburst by the two Justices is surprising, considering that it is totally unrelated to the raids…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) guber candidate in the upcoming Ondo election, Jimoh Ibrahim has revealed that Prophet TB Joshua told him that he will become Governor. Ibrahim made this revelation on his Twitter timeline and told the Senior Prophet of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) to keep his prophecy to himself for now. He said “Even though TB Joshua has seen it that I’m the next Governor of Ondo State, please let him keep it to himself for now.” He said “Even though TB Joshua has seen it that I’m the next Governor of Ondo State, please…
The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside has described the Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike as deceitful man. Peterside also called on Wike to resign as Governor of Rivers and join the Nigerian police force. This is following the Governor’s allegation that the police and All Progressives Congress (APC) are planning to sweep the case of the fake INEC ballot papers under the carpet. Peterside also said “Wike should be reminded that Rivers people and Nigerians are no fools to be treated to a circus show where a state governor is the complainant, arresting…
Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the APC National Chairman, says Ondo State is a very important state to the Federal Government in spite of being governed by the PDP. He said this on Thursday in Akure during a campaign rally of APC governorship candidate in Ondo State. He said that the state would remain important to the Federal Government and therefore there was need for the APC to win the state in the coming gubernatorial polls slated for Nov. 26. This, he said, needed the commitment and determination of all APC members in the state as it would not be easy to…
President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the contributions of Pope Francis and the Holy See to global peace, describing it as “active and relentless.” The information is in a statement by Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity in Abuja on Thursday. Adesina said President Buhari made the commendation when he received outgoing Archbishop Augustine Kasujja, Apostolic Nuncio (Ambassador of the Holy See), at State House, Abuja, on Thursday. Buhari acknowledged the efforts of the Pope for peace, especially in Syria, which he described as `inspiring and impressive.’’ He enjoined the outgoing ambassador to convey Nigeria’s gratitude…
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is committed to deepening Nigeria’s democracy and developing its economy, Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, has said. A statement issued by Malam Imam Imam, Tambuwal’s spokesman, quoted the governor as making the remark at a two-day National Conference on the `Dynamics of Democratic Practice in Nigeria.’ The statement was made available to newsmen on Thursday in Sokoto. It said the conference was held at the Centre for Democratic Research and Training, Bayero University Kano. The statement quoted Tambuwal as saying the APC places the interest of the common man above any other consideration.…
The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, on Thursday said the anti-graft agency had secured 187 convictions in the last one year. Magu disclosed this at a one-day symposium on money laundering organised by the Faculty of Management Sciences, Lagos State University (LASU) in Lagos. In a lecture, Magu reiterated his popular assertion that corruption is a crime against humanity, and renewed his call on all Nigerians to join the fight against the menace. Spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, reported the event in a statement in Abuja. He implored Nigerians to…
The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday, invited Russian farmers to invest in Nigeria, produce and export to Europe to earn foreign exchange. Osinbajo told a Russian delegation which visited him at the State House, Abuja, that “we are just six hours away from Europe by air. Vegetables and flour can be exported to Europe from here; from our local markets.” The vice president told the Russian delegation, led by Mr Alexander Tkachev, the Russian Minister of Agriculture, that the availability of arable land in Nigeria made the case for improved local agricultural production highly imperative. Osinbajo noted that…
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday pledged that Nigeria would team up with other countries to strengthen maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. The President made the pledge when he received the Executive Secretary of the Gulf of Guinea Commission, Mrs Florentina Adenike Ukonga, at the State House, Abuja. Buhari said that the Commission was of strategic importance, as most of the crude oil siphoned from Nigeria was taken through the Gulf of Guinea. “The region between Senegal and Angola affects our financial and physical security as a country. “Nigeria will, therefore, meet all its obligations to the Gulf of…
The Senate on Thursday threatened to deal with Ministries, Departments or Agencies (MDAs) which violated the Public Procurement Act which compelled them to give preference to locally-produced in their purchases. President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, made the threat when members of Leather and Allied Products Manufacturers Association of Abia State (LEAPMAAS) visited him in Abuja. He charged chairmen of all standing committees of the senate to ensure that MDAs comply with the law on patronage of local manufacturers in the course of oversight functions of the committees. Saraki challenged all military and para-military agencies in the country to…
Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Thursday said that there were abundant opportunities for entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector as Lagos residents consume N3 billion worth of food items daily. Ambode disclosed this at the opening of a two-day Lagos Food Security Summit and Exhibition organised by the state’s ministry of agriculture. The summit had the theme: “Actualising Sustainable Food Security in Lagos State: A New Comprehensive Agenda’’. “The figure of food items consumed daily indicates that the investment climate in the state is bright. “Investors are guaranteed a profitable return as the state is the largest consumer of…
The kinsmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Oyegun have pledged their support for his leadership. A group, under the aegis of the Concerned Edo Leaders of Thought (CELT) told newsmen that they will resist any attempt to remove Oyegun. CELT called on the APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu to join hands with Oyegun to move the party forward. According to Vanguard, the group also said those calling for the removal of the APC Chairman, are doing so to serve their selfish purposes. According to Vanguard, Col Paul Ogbebor (rtd), the President of CELT, said “Nigerians are aware that…