Possibilities
Chelsea set to meet £60 million exit clause for Euro 2020 sensation
Chelsea are reportedly ready to meet the release clause in the race to snap up a Liverpool and Arsenal target who is currently turning heads at Euro 2020. Alexander Isak is the name making the headlines, with the forward turning in two outstanding performances in Sweden’s draw with Spain and the win over Slovakia. Isak was a constant threat against a fancied Spanish outfit on Monday night, while he was Man of the Match as the Swedes virtually booked a last-16 spot with a narrow victory on Friday. The striker scored 17 goals for Real Sociedad last season and was named the Young Player of the Season in Spain. And according to Spanish newspaper AS, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel wants Chelsea to snap up the 21-year-old. However, to do that any suitor would have to pay Isak’s £60million (€70m) exit ...
Danish players criticise decision to resume game after Christian Eriksen collapse
Denmark’s goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and striker Martin Braithwaite on Monday lamented that they had to choose whether to restart the Denmark-Finland Euro 2020 match while they were reeling from Christian Eriksen’s mid-game collapse. “We were put in a position, that I personally feel that we shouldn’t have been put in,” Schmeichel told Danish media at a press event in Helsingor north of Copenhagen. “We had two options,” Schmeichel explained. “Either come back the day after (Sunday) at noon or continue the game.” The Leicester City goalkeeper said he wished someone more senior would’ve said “that it wasn’t the time to take that decision, and that we should maybe wait until the day after to decide”. “What has happened has happened, and hopefully they’ll learn from this,” Schmeichel said, a...
Jordi Cruyff returning to Barcelona in advisor role
Jordi Cruyff, the son of Barcelona legend Johan, is returning to Camp Nou in an advisor role. The 47-year-old followed in the footsteps of his famous father when stepping out of the La Masia academy system in Catalunya. Much of his career was spent away from Barca, while he has also dabbled in coaching since hanging up his boots, but a familiar face now forms part of the restructuring work being put in behind the scenes by Blaugrana president Joan Laporta. Barca have said in a statement on the club’s official website: “FC Barcelona announces that Jordi Cruyff will join the football area of the Club and form part of the new organisational structure as of August 1. “Jordi Cruyff, who was a player in Barca’s youth teams and in the Barca first team from 1993 to 1996, returns in a strategic rol...
EU releases last tranche of $14.5 million to assist Nigeria rollout coronavirus vaccine
The European Union has said $14. 5 million out of the €50 million promised to the Federal Government to assist in the roll out of COVID-19 vaccine would be released this week. The Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen, who addressed newsmen yesterday in Abuja, revealed that already €9 million grant had been released to boost the prevention and response to Coronavirus in Nigeria. “The EU is taking the lead in supporting partner countries, including Nigeria, to tackle the tackle the COVID-19 pandemic by combining resources from the EU, its member states and European financial institutions, under the ‘Team Europe’ initiative. “At the onset of the pandemic in Nigeria, the EU rapidly mobilised €50 million grant in humanitarian aid was given to Nigeria to boost preventio...
Rivers governor imposes statewide curfew
Governor Nyesom Wike has imposed statewide curfew on Rivers based on the advice of the state security council. The Council gave the advice after an exhaustive deliberation at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday based on threats of attack on the State, Governor Wike said in a broadcast on Thursday. He said, ” Security Council has imposed Consequently, a night curfew is hereby imposed on the entire 23 Local Government Areas of the State prohibiting any human and or vehicular movement within or any part of the State from 10.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. from today 29th April 2021 until further notice.” The governor recalled that on 28th April 2021, the State Security Council, in consideration of the recent murderous attacks on security personnel in Ikwerre and Abua/Odual Local Government A...
Nigerian government mulls TCN’s unbundling, partial concession to boost power supply
The federal government is considering the unbundling and partial concession of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to boost its efficiency in the government’s bid to improve power supply. Director, Energy, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Yunana Malo, said during the March edition of “the Electricity Hub” conversation series on power that the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) had directed that a proper strategy should be mapped out for the unbundling of TCN. He stated that the government believed that all the players in the energy value chain should be able to align with the needs of the power sector seamlessly, adding that the right environment is being created for the transmission component to match generation and distribution. Malo said data was key to making decision...
Borno governor urges Nigerian government to seek external support to end insurgency
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno has called on the federal government to seek external support from neighbouring countries, in order to end insurgencies in Nigeria. Zulum, who is also the Chairman, North-East Governors’ Forum, made the call in Bauchi, on Wednesday, at the commencement of the ‘4th North-East Governors’ Forum meeting’. He lamented the high rate of insurgency, especially, in the Northeastern part of the country, and called on the new Service Chiefs to devise tactical measures to counter the current and future attacks in the region. “As it is now, especially in Borno state, violence being perpetrated by insurgents seems to be on the increase. “It has become a matter of tactical necessity for the new Service Chiefs to devise new and authentic strategy to counter the current att...
Ex-President Obasanjo: Why Peter Odili didn’t emerge Umaru Yar’Adua’s running mate
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has disclosed the behind-the-scene details of how former Rivers Governor Peter Odili lost out in the race to emerge late President Musa Yar’Adua’s running mate in 2007. Odili was a leading contender for the vice presidential slot but lost out in dramatic manners at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention in Abuja. Obasanjo, who was handing over after a two-term rule, said Odili was favoured for the slot but was dropped because of corruption cases with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Speaking on Sunday in a virtual interview with historian and academic Toyin Falola, Obasanjo said: “Now, we needed a running mate for Yar’adua. There were two possibilities – the first possibility was Peter Odili. “Peter Odili was a much str...
Coronavirus: Nigerian government rolls out measures for UK, South African returnees
The Federal Government has rolled out new containment measures against the importation of COVID-19 particularly from the United Kingdom and South Africa, saying returnees from both countries are required to present two documents before boarding. National Coordinator of the Presidential Taskforce PTF on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, disclosed this during Thursday’s briefing of the Taskforce. He said; “In particular, international travellers must register with the Nigeria international travel portal. “We are concerned a out the emergence of the new variant of COVID-19 in the UK and an additional mutant in South Africa. Our protocol to ensure the safety of our citizens and prevent the importation of cases into the country is one of the most strict. “Specifically, for the UK and South Africa, the P...
Thomas Tuchel defends outburst following Champions League win
Thomas Tuchel says he “understands” criticism of Paris Saint-Germain but dismissed its credibility when coming from fans and journalists watching from a “sofa”. PSG were out of sorts in the Champions League on Tuesday, as last season’s beaten finalists scraped a narrow 1-0 win at RB Leipzig. The decisive goal, an 11th-minute Neymar penalty, was one of just three shots on target mustered by PSG over the course of the match. Tuchel said after the game that he would not apologise for winning in a somewhat ugly fashion, with Leipzig enjoying 63 per cent of possession and managing 15 shots in total. He put the underwhelming performance down to fatigue caused by the team’s packed schedule, though it was not their only unimpressive display in recent months. Before Tuesday, PSG had lost three of t...
Super Eagles goalie targets Euro move
Super Eagles goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi hopes to fulfil his ambition of playing for an European club soon. Akpeyi has been linked with clubs in Europe and Asia after impressing in the South Africa Premier League with Kaizer Chiefs. ”Well, the dream of every player, or let me just say the dream of some African players is to actually play in Europe, where football was being invented,” Akpeyi declared in an interview with an online medium . “So if I have the opportunity, yes I will, when the opportunity comes, why not? I would like to finish my career in Europe. “There are possibilities that it can happen and I look forward to it. Akpeyi joined Chippa United from Nigeria Professional Football League outfit Warri Wolves in 2015. The 33-year-old spent four years with Chippa United before switchin...
Danish players criticise decision to resume game after Christian Eriksen collapse
Denmark’s goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and striker Martin Braithwaite on Monday lamented that they had to choose whether to restart the Denmark-Finland Euro 2020 match while they were reeling from Christian Eriksen’s mid-game collapse. “We were put in a position, that I personally feel that we shouldn’t have been put in,” Schmeichel told Danish media at a press event in Helsingor north of Copenhagen. “We had two options,” Schmeichel explained. “Either come back the day after (Sunday) at noon or continue the game.” The Leicester City goalkeeper said he wished someone more senior would’ve said “that it wasn’t the time to take that decision, and that we should maybe wait until the day after to decide”. “What has happened has happened, and hopefully they’ll learn from this,” Schmeichel said, a...