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January

Rivaldo: Philippe Coutinho could be a regular at Arsenal or Spurs

Rivaldo says a return to the Premier League is the “best option” for Philippe Coutinho to take this summer, and that the Barcelona flop “could be a regular starter” at Arsenal or Tottenham next season. Coutinho is due to head back to Barca at the end of the season following a loan spell at Bayern Munich, who have already decided against signing the midfielder on a permanent deal. Quique Setien, who inherited the managerial reins at Camp Nou in January, insisted that the 28-year-old could be a part of his plans for next season when addressing speculation over his future during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown. However, Coutinho’s agent revealed this week that there’s been “a lot of genuine interest” in his client over the past few months, and that he would like to secure a move back to Eng...

Defilement: Appeal Court affirms ex-Chrisland supervisor’s 60 years’ imprisonment

The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal yesterday affirmed the 60-year jail term imposed on a former Supervisor at Chrisland School, Mr. Adegboyega Adenekan, who was convicted of defiling a female pupil of the school, aged two years. Adenekan was convicted of the offence on October 24, 2019, by Justice Sybil Nwaka of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja. Displeased with Justice Nwaka’s verdict, Adenekan had through his lawyer, Mr Olatunde Adejuyigbe (SAN), approached the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn it. But a three-man appeal court panel, headed by Justice Mohammed Garba, dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit. The appellate court affirmed the 60-year jail term imposed on him by the high court. The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions had told the trial co...

Gunmen kill 20 farmers in Sudan

File Photo Gunmen killed at least 20 people, including children, who were visiting their farms in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region for the first time in years, a tribal chief said Saturday. “Two months ago the government organised a meeting between the original landowners and those who took their fields” during the long-running war in Darfur, Ibrahim Ahmad, told AFP by telephone. “An agreement was reached whereby the landowners would return to their fields — but armed men came on Friday and opened fire, killing 20 people, including two women and children.” The killings took place in Aboudos, some 90 kilometres south of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur province, the tribal chief said. Around 20 people were wounded in the attack, he said. The death toll “could well increase, because some of ...

Super Eagles goalie Francis Uzoho joins Apoel FC

Super Eagles goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho, has been transferred to Apoel FC. No details on the amount of the operation, but the goaltender signed a three-year deal with the Cypriot club. Uzoho was on loan from Deportivo de La Coruña, as a goalkeeper. OFFICIAL: Francis Uzoho joins Cypriot giants APOEL Nicosia on a permanent deal until 2023. Congratulations 🎊 pic.twitter.com/gQ4F4xM6tK — Soar Super Eagles (@SSE_NGA) July 17, 2020 He started his career from Africa when he joined the Senegal branch of Aspire Academy in 2013, at aged 14; initially a forward, he was converted into a goalkeeper after being deemed “too slow” at the age of 12. In 2016, after impressing on a tournament in Barcelona, he joined Deportivo de La Coruña’s Juvenil squad. Age rules meant that Uzoho could only become a...

Peter Etebo named in Stoke City’s retained list for 2020/21 season

Super Eagles midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo has been included in Stoke City’s retained list for the 2020/21 season. Etebo joined LaLiga club Getafe on a six-month loan deal in January after falling down the pecking order under new manager Michael O’Neill. The combative midfielder featured in 11 league games for Stoke City before the switch. Getafe hold an option to sign the 24-year-old on a permanent transfer at the end of the season. Etebo has impressed during his stint at Getafe, scoring once in 10 league outings. The former Warri Wolves star has however missed the Azulones’ last three games due to injury. Etebo joined Stoke City from Portugal Primera Liga club CD Fierense in 2018. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So...

Lionel Messi future is here, in football and after football – Barca chief

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is adamant Lionel Messi will not be leaving. Messi is now inside the final year of his current deal and can sign a pre-contract with a rival from January 1. But Bartomeu insists Messi and the club are in negotiations about a new agreement. He told TV3: “With Messi, we are talking, we have talked and we will talk. “He is the best player in the history of football, he still has years ahead of him and he is in great shape. “I have no doubt that he will continue at Barça, his future is here, in football and after football.” Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make m...

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signals u-turn in transfer priorities

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hinted that the club’s transfer priorities for this summer have changed toward the defence. It has been believed for some time that the first priority is a right winger, with Jadon Sancho the top target. There has also been much talk of United signing another attacking midfielder, potentially Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish, and a striker has also been sought, with the Reds narrowly missing out on capturing Norwegian star Erling Haaland in January. But when asked about planning for the future at the Southampton pre-match press conference, the boss suggested that the situation is under review. ‘There’s so many small decisions and of course transfers sometimes are out of our hands as well,’ he said. ‘If the team is going well, [you ask yourself]...

Philippe Coutinho will decide on his future after the Champions League

Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho who is currently on loan at Bayern Münich could play against Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Champions League if Barcelona manages to knockout Napoli, and if Bayern defeats Chelsea. Currently, Coutinho wants to just focus on the Champions League. If the forecasts come true, Barça and Bayern will face each other on the 14th. Until the Champions League finishes, the 28-year-old will not decide on his future. The only thing that is certain as it stands is that the Brazilian prioritizes a Premier League return. However, all the clubs that have shown interest in Coutinho (Chelsea, United, Newcastle, Tottenham, and Arsenal) are aware of Barça’s financial needs, so they will not rush a move until the last moment to sign him for a low fee. Barcelona ex...

UBA Group appoints deputy managing directors

The United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), a pan-African financial services group, on Tuesday announced the appointments of Mr Ayoku Liadi and Oliver Alawuba as Deputy Managing Directors. The bank in a statement in Lagos, said the Deputy Managing Directors would be in charge of UBA’s Nigeria and Africa businesses, respectively. The Group Chairman, Mr Tony Elumelu, said in the statement that the appointments were a representation of the groups’ strategic recognition now representing in excess of 40 per cent of the Group revenue. “In 2005, we set out our pan-African vision. Fifteen years later, we are present in 20 African countries, serving over 20 million clients, leveraging our service culture and technology platform, to provide an integrated and seamless customer offering across the continent...

NCF not a political party yet – spokesman

File Photo The newly formed National Consultative Front (NCF) has said it was yet to metamorphosed into a political party but remains a meeting of like minds to chart a way of getting the country out of the wood. Spokesman of the Steering Committee of the group, Mallam Tanko Yunusa, told newsmen that discussions by the group on the way forward and whether to transform into a political party will be concluded by January 2021. He said: “The National Secretariat of the emergent National Consultative Front of National Leaders of Conscience, currently mobilising to save Nigeria from imminent political collapse and civil strife, wishes to clarify that the body is essentially still a consultative forum for popular political intervention in Nigeria, which is yet to transform into a political party...

FIFA U-20/U-17: CAF set to announce African qualifiers new dates

Getty Images The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is set to announce a revised date for the remaining qualifying matches of the 2021 FIFA U-20 and U-17 Women’s World Cup slated for January to March of next year. Prompt News exclusively gathered that CAF will within a week write Member Associations (MAs) including Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on the new dates for the African qualifiers which came to a halt at the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. “I want to assure you that Member Associations will next week or before then receive directives from CAF headquarters on the new dates for the African qualifier matches. I can confirm that CAF Competitions Department, Youth Department and Organising Committee are currently working out the modalities for the restart ...

10 Customs officers contracted coronavirus at Lagos ports – comptroller

File Photo The Controller of the Apapa Customs Command of the Nigerian Customs Service, Comptroller Mohammed Abba-Kura, on Thursday, said ten of his officers contracted the COVID-19 disease and were treated at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). This is even as the Controller stated that any vessel Red-Flagged for issues with health or safety concern will not be boarded by his officers until cleared by relevant government agencies. Addressing maritime journalists in his office, on Thursday, Comptroller Mohammed Abba-Kura explained that there is no way the Command can stop physical examination of cargoes for now because of the fear of COVID-19, that rather, it is important for individuals to observe physical hygiene while carrying out port activities. According to Abba-Kura, “Whe...