Field
Gary Lineker urges Three Lions to ‘treasure’ Euro 2020 final
Gary Lineker has urged the England players to “treasure and enjoy” Sunday’s Euro 2020 final against Italy – but believes it is just the beginning and success will soon come even if they are beaten at Wembley. Gareth Southgate’s side are preparing for their first major tournament final in 55 years, something not even Lineker achieved during his time as a Three Lions player. The former Tottenham, Everton and Barcelona forward also praised the players for the showing a “shining social conscience” off the field which represents the “very best” of England. In an open letter to the England team in the Players’ Tribune, Lineker said: “I wish I was playing with you. This is the sort of occasion you dream about as a player. And honestly, it’s much less nerve-racking out on the pitch than in the sta...
Mikel Obi leaves Stoke City, joins Kuwaiti club
Former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel has joined Al Kuwait SC, the Kuwaiti Premier League side on a year’s deal. The announcement was made by the club on Thursday, after Mikel and Stoke City cancelled their contract by mutual consent. Mikel’s new club finished third in the division last season behind Al-Qadsia and champions Al-Arabi. The Nigerian spent 11 years and made 372 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea. After Chelsea he played for Trabzonspor and Middlesbrough, before heading to China to spend two years with Tianjin Teda in the Chinese Super League. Mikel returned to UK in August 2020 to play Stoke City. Stoke boss Michael O’Neill told the club’s official website: ‘Although John triggered the second year of his contract, we always had an agreement in place whereby we wou...
Chelsea legend Michael Essien extends role with FC Nordsjaelland
Former Ghana and Chelsea star Michael Essien has extended his coaching contract with Danish Superligaen side FC Nordsjaelland until 2023. According to FC Nordsjaelland manager Flemming Pedersen the former Real Madrid enforcer has lived up to expectations on the touchline much to the delight of the technical handlers and he is now certain of continuing his cherished coaching role at the Right to Dream Park. “Michael Essien has chosen to extend with us until the summer of 2023. We have just looked at each other in the first year, but it has been a no-brainer for him, and he told me that he likes to be here,” Pedersen confirmed Essien’s new deal to Sn.dk as quoted by kickgh.com. “We need Michael, and he gets even more focus on the individual focus. Both on the field, but also off. He can give...
APC group commends President Buhari, security agents for ‘decimating’ IPOB
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Legacy Awareness and Campaign has commended President Muhammadu Buhari and federal security agents for decimating separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The group, in a statement issued by the quartet of Barr Ismail Ahmed, Lanre Issa-Onilu, Tolu Ogunlesi and Salihu Moh Lukman, claimed that the country will in the next few months witness even more progress on all fronts. ‘On security, the fear that has gripped the nation in recent times is receding while confidence is being renewed as the security agencies are chasing down the criminals, taking the battle to the bandits, unknown gunmen, kidnappers, and other criminal elements who have been holding the country by the jugular and turning Nigeria to a killing field,’ the group stated. ‘From the...
Police arrest 16-year-old girl who ‘faked’ own kidnap
A 16-year-old girl, Abimbola Suluka, has been arrested alongside her boyfriend, Oluwaseun Olajide, by the Ekiti State Police command for allegedly kidnapping herself to raise money to pursue her career in acting as against study of medicine demanded by her mother. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Sunday Abutu in a statement on Saturday said the duo were arrested on Thursday in a hotel in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital where they lodged and demanded N500,000 ransom. Abimbola is alleged to have conspired with her 25-year-old boyfriend and two of his friends to stage the abduction so as to raise money and relocate from the state following her mother’s insistence for her to study medicine. Abutu explained that Abimbola’s sister had gone to the police station to report that her sis...
Danish director: Christian Eriksen spoke to Denmark players after on-field collapse
Christian Eriksen managed to speak to his Denmark team-mates from hospital after his on-field collapse, according to Danish FU (Football Union) director of football Peter Moller. Eriksen was stabilised in hospital after collapsing in the first half of Denmark’s Euro 2020 encounter with Finland in Copenhagen. The playmaker required extensive on-pitch treatment and the match was suspended after he was taken off on a stretcher, before it was resumed more than 90 minutes later. “He collapsed and got help and heart treatment on the field,” Moller told DR. “He was fortunately awake when he left the stadium. “We have been in contact with him, and the players have spoken with Christian. That’s the good news. He is doing well and they are playing the match for Christian. “Our thoughts are with Chri...
Belgium coach: Kevin De Bruyne’s Euro 2020 participation still unclear
The possibility of Kevin De Bruyne competing for Belgium in the European Championship remains unclear as he recovers from facial fractures, coach Roberto Martinez said on Wednesday. The midfield talisman broke his nose and eye socket in a clash in the Champions League final last weekend but it would be days before Belgium were clear about his chances of competing, Martinez told reporters. “I would say that until next week we won’t know exactly where we are with Kevin. Now, allow him now to relax. “He could be available for the Euros but when, we don’t know at the moment. It’s too early to give you an answer now, we must first get the green light from the medical side.” De Bruyne had been scheduled to join up with Belgium’s squad just days before their opening Group B match against Russia i...
PDP optimistic ahead Lagos council polls
File Photo The Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State on Sunday said that its fortune remained bright in the forthcoming July 24 local government election in the aquatic state. The PDP Chairman in Lagos, Adedeji Doherty, expressed this optimism in an interview with newsmen. He, however, said that there was the need for a constitutional review that would take away the conduct of grassroots election from state apparatuses. According to him, the step has become imperative to bring democracy to grassroots elections, being the most important election that is closest to the people. “The fortune of PDP is bright, but the main thing is that the party in power usually takes control of all the apparatus to win grassroots elections. “There should be a constitutional amendment to make sure that the c...
NNPC renews OML 118 with Shell, Total, Exxon, Eni
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corp renewed Oil Mining Lease 118 with the local subsidiaries of Shell, Total, Exxon and Eni for another 20 years, the West African country’s state oil firm said in a statement on Tuesday. The deal signals the end of “long-standing disputes over the interpretation of the fiscal terms of the production-sharing contracts” between the investors in the field, the statement said. The Nigerian government will immediately recognise revenues of $780 million from the signing of the agreement, “while it would also free the parties from over $9 billion in contingent liabilities,” the statement said. The deal was signed between NNPC, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeri...
Ramadan: Israel donates food items to support Nigerian Muslim families
The Embassy of Israel in Nigeria on Monday donated some food items to support some Muslim families in the on-going Ramadan fasting in the country. Mr Yotam Kreiman, Charge d’Affairs of Israel to Nigeria, who presented the items in Abuja, said that the items worth 260, 000 meals was to support about 1,800 families. Newsmen report that the items donated included some bags of rice, beans, maize, groundnut oil, pasta among others. The envoy said that the items were put together to further deepen ties between Israel and Nigeria. Kreiman said that lessons from the Holy Books during month of Ramadan often reminded people of their needs to always be kind, helpful and thoughtful, especially as the world slowly recovered and battled with COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, it is important to lend h...
David Moyes lashes out at Premier League chiefs over Manchester United decision
David Moyes fears West Ham’s slim hopes of Champions League football could be affected further by Manchester United forced to field weakened teams. The Hammers boss – whose men were beaten by Everton – has called on the Premier League to explain the questions surrounding the integrity of the competition being affected with United’s 3-1 win at Aston Villa their first of three games in five games. Reds boss Ole Gunnar Solksjaer is set to dip into his squad to face the Hammers’ top-four rivals Leicester on Tuesday after sealing a top four place. Moyes said: “The Premier League should be answering these questions and tell us why this is the case. “There was an awful lot of integrity needed to get the Premier League back up and running during the pandemic. ‘Ole can do what he likes. Its his tea...
Adidas frustrated with Manchester United over sharp decline in shirt sales
Adidas are growing disgruntled with Manchester United after a downturn in shirt sales, according to the Daily Mail. With the deal that Man United agreed with Adidas worth in the region of £78M-a-year, as per the Daily Mail, you’d expect that it would be a relationship the club would try to keep healthy. However, the report claims that Adidas were frustrated with the Red Devils for their failure to brief them on plans for their involvement in the proposed European Super League. There is now also further discontent, with Adidas wary of Man United’s decline in shirt sales. The Daily Mail claim that shirt sales have fallen 100,000 over the last two years. It’s not exactly clear why that would be the case. You could argue it’s as a result of United’s decrease in quality on the field, or it coul...
