Captain of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, John Mikel Obi has urged unity within the squad after their 2-1 victory at Zambia. The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Sunday, October 9 beat Zambia 2-1 in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier. After the win Mikel Obi who played the whole 90 minutes in the win wants the Super Eagles to be united and also urged support from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). “I have belief that we can reach new heights with this team. The boys are so committed that it makes you happy. The coaching crew is made up…
Author: David Folami
Spanish giants Real Madrid on Tuesday relaunched their 400 million euro ($443 million) bid to modernise their Bernabeu stadium paid for by an Abu Dhabi investor. The project, less ambitious than the previous version blocked by the courts, includes the creation of a 6,000m2 public garden alongside the stadium, will be financed by Abu Dhabi-based sponsor IPIC, who will be given naming rights. “It will be a spectacular transformation of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, which is one of the icons of our city and which we want to make one of the best stadiums in the world,” said club president…
Algeria sacked national team coach Milovan Rajevac on Tuesday, just over three months after he took charge, according to Algerian public television. “The Algerian Football Federation have decided to amicably terminate the contract of Milovan Rajevac,” the station reported, with the Serb having only replaced Christian Gourcuff in June. Algeria drew 1-1 at home to Cameroon on Sunday in the opening round of matches in the final phase of African 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Assistant coaches Nabil Neghiz and Yazid Mansouri are expected to replace the 62-year-old Rajevac on an interim basis until a successor is appointed. FAF president Mohamed…
Arsenal star Alex Iwobi says he got very scared when a fan followed him home after a game. Iwobi’s popularity has soared in the past one year since he became a regular for Arsenal. Speaking to Arsenal’s weekly podcast, the winger who has made seven appearances so far this season, recalled the time he was trailed on his way him by a fan. “I remember the last home game we played. For 15 minutes there was one fan following me and I was getting a bit scared,” the 20-year-old said. “I was getting close to my destination. I was thinking,…
Neymar will one day be the best player in the world, according to former Barcelona and AC Milan star Ronaldinho. Brazil forward Neymar was included in the three-man shortlist for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or alongside Barca team-mate Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi took the trophy – the fifth of his career – with Ronaldo beating Neymar to second in the voting, but Ronaldinho is confident the 24-year-old will soon be the game’s best. “Neymar is a friend who is making history in the same club I did and will one day be the best player in the world,”…
England goalkeeper Joe Hart lauded Wayne Rooney as the team’s “leader” despite the captain being dropped against Slovenia. Rooney, 30, was introduced from the bench late on as interim manager Gareth Southgate’s men were held to a 0-0 draw in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday. While Jordan Henderson skippered in Rooney’s absence, Hart talked up the Manchester United man’s leadership. “Everyone knows Wayne is our leader. Every day no matter what he is doing, he leads us,” he told Sky Sports. “Jordan did really well tonight, taking over the role as captain in a pretty blown up circumstance with Wayne…
Premier League giants, Chelsea have provided proof for Victor Moses’ injury after he withdrew from the Super Eagles squad to face Zambia. Moses withdrew after playing in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Hull City on Saturday, October 1, claiming to have sustained a hamstring injury. Many doubted the injury claim from the forward and called for an international ban but Chelsea have moved quickly to present a proof. It is also mandatory by FIFA regulations that clubs send documents to the FAs to back up injury claims. We learnt that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) received the medical report from Chelsea…
Sergio Aguero has admitted he sometimes feels like a “bad player” when representing Argentina after missing a penalty during their 1-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Paraguay on Tuesday. Aguero, 28, has scored 11 goals in all competitions for Manchester City this season, but his last goal for Argentina was on June 10 during the Copa America. Aguero, wearing the No. 10 shirt left vacant by the injured Lionel Messi on Tuesday, had the best chance to equalise a minute after the restart but saw his weak penalty easily saved by Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar. “Things didn’t go as planned,”…
Barcelona star Lionel Messi returned to training on Wednesday and is expected to make his comeback from a groin injury against Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday ahead of next week’s visit from Manchester City in the Champions League. The Argentina international has been sidelined since injuring his groin for a second time this season in the 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid last month. He’s missed wins over Sporting Gijon and Borussia Monchengladbach and the defeat to Celta Vigo. Barca’s initial estimation was that Messi would be absent for three weeks, and Mundo Deportivo reported on Tuesday that his recovery was…
Paul Pogba feels more comfortable in an attacking midfield role but is willing to work on the defensive side of his game in order to adapt to manager Jose Mourinho’s tactics at Manchester United. Pogba, who joined the Premier League club for a world record fee from Juventus in August, has been utilised in a deeper role by Mourinho and is yet to produce his best form at Old Trafford. “I try to adapt. I am a player who would rather go forward. The coach gave me instructions, I try to follow them,” Pogba told reporters after scoring the winner…
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday ordered the release of two Augusta AW 101, VVIP helicopters from the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). The National Security Adviser (NSA),Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, who presented the helicopters to NAF, said the gesture was in fulfillment of the President’s promise to reduce the cost of the amount expended on the PAF . Monguno said that in line with this philosophy, two aircraft, 1x AW109 helicopter and 1x King Air Beechcraft ,had earlier been released to the NAF in 2015, immediately the president took over. He said it was given out…
Femi Fani-Kayode, the former aviation minister has condemned the recent ban of Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), popularly called Shiites. Recall that Governor Nasir el-Rufai issued an order on Friday, October 7, 2016, declaring the IMN led by Ibraheem el-Zakzaky, an unlawful society. Fani-Kayode in a reaction on Monday, October 10, however, described the ban as evil. “One year ago you wooed and courted the Shia Muslims and asked them for their votes,” the ex-minister said. “After the election, you massacred them in their thousands, buried them in mass graves, burnt down their homes, desecrated their burial sites, blinded and…
Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Monday in Port Harcourt, said he would uphold the welfare of workers at all levels and at all times. Wike said this in a statement released to newsmen by Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, his Special Assistant Electronic Media. According to him, before any security vote is released or spent, the welfare of workers in the state must first be taken care of. He promised that his administration will monitor the pattern of expenditure of the local government councils to ensure that funds were deployed to areas that would promote the interest of the people. The…
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has decried the slow release of budgetary allocation to execute projects that will increase food productivity in the country. Ogbeh made this known when he received the Senate Committee on Agriculture led by it’s Chairman, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu in Abuja on Monday. The committee paid an oversight visit to assess the level of implementation of 2016 budget in the ministry. He said that the ministry had only received N882 billion, which represented 4 per cent of its budgetary allocation for 2016 budget for the sector. He stressed that the released…
Two soldiers said they were paid N13 million from the ransom paid to the kidnappers of Margaret Emefiele, the CBN Governor’s wife. About two weeks ago, Emefiele and three others were kidnapped along Benin-Agbor Road but were released 24 hours later after an undisclosed ransom was paid to their abductors. The Two soldiers, Lance Corporals Musa Maidabra and Edwin George, serving at 122D30 Regiment in Maiduguri, Borno State, said they were given N6.5 million each as their share of the ransom, which according to Punch, was estimated to be around N80 million. According to the soldiers, their role was to…
The wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has decried extortion of money from rural women in the ongoing free distribution of application forms for women empowerment. Aisha expressed her displeasure in a statement by her Special Assistance on Media, Adebisi Olumide-Ajayi, in Abuja on Monday. She said that the forms which was made available by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs were meant for distribution to the rural women free of charge. The wife of the president, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the use of her name to collect monies ranging from N1500 to N5000 from members of the public. Aisha…
Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Economic Financial Commission (EFCC) to investigate the Deposit Money Banks. Speaking at a dinner at the University of Ibadan, Falana said he will apply for an order of Mandamus to compel the EFCC to probe and prosecute the banks over loans they were allegedly granted by former governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). According to him, the loans were given between 2006 and 2011. At the event which was organised by the executives of the Senior Staff Club of the University of Ibadan in honour of members…
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has described President Muhammadu Buhari as the saviour of the north-east. Shettima said the entire region would have been wiped out by the Boko Haram terrorists if not for the President whom God gave Nigeria at the nick of time. Speaking at the opening ceremony of a 2-day summit organised by Northern Elders Forum (NEF) in Kaduna, the Governor stressed that Nigerians must unite as a people. He described the Goodluck Jonathan administration as the greatest tragedy that befell Nigeria, adding that Nigeria was on the brink of collapse under the former President. “President…
The Federal Government has assured that the price of rice will start crashing from next month, November. It said with more Nigerians back to their various farms, the next harvesting season, which is November will see the price of rice fall. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, stated this on Monday, October 10 while addressing members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development at the headquarters of the ministry in Abuja. On the speculation that the ban on rice importation has been lifted, Ogbeh stressed that it is not true and will not be…
The Sultan of Sokoto has urged the government to prosecute Fulani herdsmen who have been killing Nigerians. The Sultan, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III also said that the killer herdsmen don’t represent the entire Fulani community. He made the comments on Monday, October 10, at the opening ceremony of the Annual Pan-Northern Groups Summit on Security, Socio-economic and Political development in Kaduna State. “There are very terrible herdsmen who kill. But they are acting on their own, they are criminals and they must be treated as criminals. Therefore the Federal Government should prosecute them,” he said according to Vanguard. “It…