“I’m Grateful To Nigerians” – Ex-Barca Winger Amuneke Reacts To Super Eagles Appointment

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February 10, 2022

The former Nigerian international is seeing his dreams of coaching his fatherland come true just over a decade after quitting active football

Newly-appointed Super Eagles head coach Emmanuel Amuneke has expressed his gratitude to Nigerians and the Nigerian Football Federation for considering him for the job.

The NFF, on Monday, announced the decision to snub Portuguese manager Jose Peseiro and instead name Amuneke as the coach of the three-time continental champions.

The former Barcelona winger will work together with interim Technical Adviser Augustine Eguavoen, as well as with assistants Salisu Yusuf, Joseph Yobo, and Alloy Agu.

While remaining coy about the details of the contractual agreement between him and the federation, Amuneke is aware it is a privilege to serve his fatherland.

“I’m always available to serve my country,” Amuneke said,

“I’m grateful to Nigerians and the Federation for looking in my direction. For now, there’s no use speaking much; when it’s time, I will grant an interview about the job.”

Amuneke enjoyed a beautiful playing career, winning titles with Egypt’s Zamalek, Barcelona, and Sporting Lisbon.

But his finest moments came with the Super Eagles and the Dream Team as he scored the crucial goals that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and Atlanta ’96 Olympics football gold for Nigeria.

Amuneke was named the African Footballer of the Year in 1994 and the BBC African Footballer of the Year two years later.

An injury forced Amuneke to quit football in 2004, and the former left-winger took to coaching after earning his licence.

He handled both Julius Berger and Ocean Boys before he was drafted as an assistant coach to Manu Garba for the Golden Eaglets’ side that won the 2013 FIFA u-17 World Cup.

Two years later, Amuneke guided the cadet team to defend the title in Chile as the head coach, cementing his status as an astute youth coach.

And he successfully made the step up to international football after leading Tanzania to qualify for the 2019 Afcon, the country’s second-ever appearance at the tournament.

The 51-year-old’s immediate assignment will be to help Nigeria qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar by beating Ghana’s Black Stars over two legs in March.

Balogun Suffers Setback, But Aribo And Bassey Power Rangers To Victory

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Emenike Agu

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February 10, 2022

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The Super Eagles stars were brilliant, as the Gers won a second consecutive game in five days

Nigerian trio Leon Balogun, Calvin Bassey, and Joe Aribo were impressive as Rangers cruised to a 2-0 over Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership. However, it was a sad night for Balogun after he was taken off just after 15 minutes because of an injury.

The Gers faced the Hibs in their 26th game of the season. Rangers were always favourites going into the tie as the champions had already accrued two times of their opponents’ points.

Rangers defender James Tavernier eased the Gers into the game after scoring a penalty in the 8th minute to put the champions ahead.

However, the Gers had their joy cut short in the 14th minute after Balogun had to leave the game due to an injury.

Nevertheless, they kept it tight at the back and saw out the first half without conceding.

Hibernian came out guns blazing in the second half, but Bassey was astute on the night, with a 79 per cent pass accuracy and winning almost all his duels.

Three minutes from the hour mark, Alfredo Morelos doubled Rangers’ lead, which was enough to secure all three points.

Aribo put in a decent shift in midfield, with 57 touches and 87 per cent pass accuracy. The Super Eagles star was taken off for Aaron Ramsey in the 75th minute.

Despite the victory, Rangers are still second on the log, a point away from Celtic.

“He’s My Younger Brother” – Super Eagles’ Eguavoen Speaks On Working With Amuneke

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Emenike Agu

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February 10, 2022

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The two former internationals will team up on the coaching bench to guide the 2013 Afcon kings to Qatar 2022

Super Eagles interim Technical Adviser Augustine Eguavoen has opened up on the relationship between him and former Tanzania head coach Emmanuel Amuneke.

Eguavoen and Amuneke were part of the Super Eagles squad that lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy at Tunisia ’94.

Eguavoen was a senior member of that team, having made his debut in 1987 and claimed bronze at the 1992 Afcon and silver at the 1988 edition.

Amuneke only made his Super Eagles’ debut on the eve of the 1994 Afcon, but his influence was crucial to winning the Cup as he scored both goals in the 2-1 defeat of Zambia in the final.

Their paths have crossed again after the Nigeria Football Federation, on Monday, appointed Amuneke as chief coach to work together with Eguavoen, who led the Eagles to the Round of 16 of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. Salisu Yusuf, Joseph Yobo, and Aloysius Agu form the remaining part of the coaching crew.

Eguavoen is convinced there would be no problem working with someone he considers family and whose introduction would make the Eagles even better.

“Amuneke is my younger brother and we have worked together for so long,” the NFF Technical Director said.

“I think his coming into the team will add a lot of value also.”

Eguavoen and Amuneke’s primary assignment will be to guide the Eagles past Ghana over two legs in the race for a World Cup ticket in March.

Illegal Miners Arrested In Zamfara State With Precious Stones

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Angel Gimalo

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February 10, 2022

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Ten illegal miners have been arrested and ten bags of precious stones intercepted by Anti-Minning Stoke Force of the Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corp in Zamfara state.

The suspects were arrested in two mining sites in Talata Mafara local government area of the state.

Spokesperson of the NSCDC in the state said two personnel of the corps were also injured by the local guards hired by the miners.

The insecurity in bedevilling communities in Zamfara has been linked to illegal mining activities.

This prompted the Federal Government to ban all mining activities in the state two years ago.

Celtic English Academy Lands Four Major New Contracts In Recovery And Expansion Drive

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Precious Obazee

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February 10, 2022

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Celtic English Academy in Cardiff has geared itself up to achieve business recovery and growth in the coming year with assistance from the Welsh government.

The school wants to build on its success by setting its sights on exports and overseas contracts, after landing four major new contracts across three continents over the last three years.

The Welsh government has bolstered its support over the years, giving the school access to the Overseas Business Development Fund – enabling representatives to go on trade missions and allowing for other key market opportunities.

The more recent support from the Welsh government in the form of their Economic Resilience Fund for digital innovation has allowed for further diversification of its services for hybrid teaching, including professional camera equipment and a suite of professional development lessons.

Recent projects include two remote teaching contacts with Kuwait and Vietnam, which are starting this year – they will see Celtic English Academy deliver online sessions with national in-country partners to support the development of English teachers in the countries.

The school now looks to expand its international presence, setting its sights on Latin America, Japan and the Middle East as “key routes” for recovery and subsequent growth.

The academy has already recruited staff in Japan and Brazil, and already exploring teaching opportunities in Saudi Arabia off the back of a “rising demand for ELT” in the region.

Nigeria Leap Forward In FIFA Ranking, Now Number 3!

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Emenike Agu

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February 10, 2022

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Despite the disappointment of crashing out of the Africa Cup of Nations at the Round of 16, the Super Eagles have made appreciable leap in the FIFA Ranking released this Thursday morning.

The Super Eagles are now number 32 in the world from their previous 36^th position. In Africa, they are now number three, overtaking previous frontliners, Tunisia and Algeria.

Incidentally, it is the same Tunisia that the Super Eagles pushed down the ladder that eliminated Nigeria from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Ghana, Nigeria’s World Cup opponents dropped from their previous 52^nd position (number eighth in Africa) to 61 globally and 11 in Africa.

For African champions, Senegal, it was a big leap. They are not just Africa’s number 1, they have broken into the top 20 in the world, ranking number 18.

However, the biggest global jump is by Gambia who moved from their previous 150^th position to 125.

Their progress was caused by their position their run to the quarter-finals at the African Cup.

Equatorial Guinea, who also reached the last eight at the tournament, climb 15 places and are now in the Top 100.

U.K Can Catch United States On International Student Numbers, Says Lord Bilimoria

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Precious Obazee

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February 10, 2022

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The president of UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) and chancellor of the University of Birmingham, says there are ways in which the United Kingdom can overtake the United States in the number of international students enrolling in the country.

In a new interview with the media, Lord Karan Bilimoria reminded that there is a “global race” for international students, and that the UK should not stop at reaching a target of 600,000 international students a decade early.

Lord Bilimoria repeated a call to introduce a new target of hosting one million international students in the UK by 2030.

President of UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) and chancellor of the University of Birmingham, Lord Karan Bilimoria

He said while the UK and the US offer different experiences, they are both excellent, with the countries’ institutions often ranked top in the world.

He also added that the UK’s recently-reintroduced post-study work opportunities are a huge draw for prospective international students.

Lord Bilimoria also spoke of the transnational opportunities he sees in India, suggesting that Birmingham would “certainly be interested” in building a campus there in the future.

Others have recently formulated alternative options for the UK to head towards after hitting its recruitment target.

At a Westminster Higher Education Forum policy conference on February 8, former UK minister of State for Universities Jo Johnson spoke of ensuring sustainability rather than aiming for further immediate growth.

Super Falcons Seek Vengeance Against Cote d’Ivoire In Final Qualifiers For Women’s Africa Cup Of Nations

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Emenike Agu

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February 10, 2022

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Multiple-time African champions, Nigeria’s Super Falcons will face off with their Ivorian counterparts for a place in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to hold later this year in Morocco.

It is a sort of vengeance time for the Nigerian side who were eliminated from the qualification for the women’s football event of Tokyo 2020 Olympics by Cote’d’Ivoire.

This is the final qualifiers in which a heavyweight team such as Ghana has been eliminated.

The first leg is scheduled for February 16 to 18, 2022 and the return for February 21 to 23.

Due to Kenya’s withdrawal, Uganda became the first team to officially join hosts Morocco for the final twelve-team tournament. Ten places remain to be filled.

First leg (16, 17, 18 February 2022)

Wednesday 16.February

13h00 GMT: Burundi – Djibouti (Stade Urukundo, Ngozi)
13h00 GMT: Zambia – Namibia (Nkoloma Stadium, Lusaka)
15h30 GMT: Guinea-Bissau – Burkina Faso (Estadio 24 de Setembro, Bissau)
16h30 GMT: Senegal – Mali (Stade Lat-Dior, Thiès)

Thursday 17February

15h00 GMT: Togo – Gabon (Stade de Kegué, Lomé)

Friday 18 February

13h00 GMT: Zimbabwe – Botswana (National Sports Stadium, Harare)
14h00 GMT: South Africa – Algeria (Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg)
· 14h00 GMT: Tunisia – Equatorial Guinea (Stade de Solimane, Solimane)
· 14h30 GMT: Cameroon – Gambia (Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé)
15h00 GMT: Nigeria – Côte d’Ivoire (National Stadium, Abuja)

Once Upon A Time – Feb. 10 – 1940 – Tom & Jerry Cartoon Created By William Hanna & Joseph Barbera Debut By MGM

By

Angel Gimalo

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February 10, 2022

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60 St Paul shipwrecked at Malta

1720 Edmond Halley appointed as the second Astronomer Royal at the Greenwich Observatory

1763 Treaty of Paris ends French-Indian War, surrendering Canada to Britain

1824 Simón Bolívar named dictator by the Congress of Peru

1879 Henry Morton Stanley departs for the Congo

1906 British battleship HMS Dreadnought launches after only 100 days, renders all other capital ships obsolete with its revolutionary design

1952 India holds its first general election: Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru remains in power

HISTORICAL EVENTS TODAY

TODAY IN FILM & TV

1989 To gain deregulation WWF admits pro wrestling is an exhibition & not a sport, in a NJ court

1993 “Michael Jackson Talks To Oprah Winfrey” airs on ABC & drew an astounding 39.3 rating/56 share, 90 million people

TODAY IN MUSIC

1942 Glenn Miller awarded 1st Ever Gold Record for selling 1 million copies of “Chattanooga Choo Choo”

TODAY IN SPORT

1989 To gain deregulation WWF admits pro wrestling is an exhibition & not a sport, in a NJ court

DO YOU KNOW THIS FACT ABOUT TODAY?

1940 “Tom & Jerry” cartoon created by William Hanna & Joseph Barbera debut by MGM

WOULD YOU BELIEVE THIS FACT ABOUT TODAY?

1996 IBM computer Deep Blue becomes the first computer to win a game of chess against a reigning (human) chess champion, Gary Kasparov

FAMOUS WEDDINGS

1840 British Queen Victoria (20) marries her cousin Albert (20) of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, later the Prince Consort at St James’ Palace

1858 US President Millard Fillmore (58) weds Caroline Carmichael (43) in Albany, New York

1863 P. T. Barnum stages wedding of Tom Thumb & Mercy Lavinia Warren, both midgets, in NYC

Education Stakeholders Decry High Visa Refusal Rate For Africans Applying For Canadian Higher Education

By

Precious Obazee

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February 10, 2022

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A panel of politicians in Canada has been told that prospective international students from French-speaking African countries are facing higher visa refusal rates than applicants from other countries.

They have been warned that these higher refusal rates are having detrimental impacts on the international student recruitment efforts in addition to potentially damaging Canada’s reputation as a welcoming place to study.

Speaking to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, the president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Bureau for International Education, Larissa Bezo, said that since 2016, more than 500,000 qualified students had visa applications rejected.

She said high refusal rates are a problem that has increased in recent years and is growing, particularly prevalent for applicants from African and Francophone Africa.

On his part, President of Universities Canada, Paul Davidson, said high visa refusal rates among priority markets, particularly in Francophone Africa, is an urgent challenge the country needs to address.

He indicated that while average approval rates for Canada’s largest international student source countries is around 80%, with some reaching 95%, students from Africa face the highest refusal rates.

Statistics from 2019 suggested that three in four applications from African students were rejected, and more recently African education agents have alleged bias over low Canadian permits approval rates.

Davidson added that a collaborate effort was needed to tackle the issue.

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations said that fundamental changes are needed, including an increase in IRCC resources.

Chair, Christian Fotang said “International students of both official languages face many other barriers when applying for study permits, the process continues to be extremely onerous for any young adult unfamiliar with the Canadian immigration system to understand”.

Bezo noted that the country must be mindful that these failures of process do not end up being interpreted by potential international student candidates as failures of respect adding that the reputational risks for Canada brand are significant.

Refusal rates are high in some target countries despite the aim of diversifying markets in the country’s international education strategy, she highlighted, a point also emphasised by Francis Brown, director of international at Fédération des cégeps.

He said there are inconsistencies between the visa denials and other government initiatives. Québec for example invests close to $50 million promoting the province to international students and on scholarships for them.

He told the committee it is essential that the processing of study permits be equitable, fair and transparent for all individuals, regardless of their country, language or level of education.

According to immigration lawyer at LJD Law, Lou Janssen Dangzalan, the reasons for the “troubling trend” among African countries is a “mystery”.

He however, suggested that the fact that visas are not processed in-country with the majority from the region being processed in Dakar or Dar es Salaam – could have unintended consequences.

Dangzalan suggested that in-country processing could mean decision makers are more attuned to the realities on the ground.

Witnesses also said it was unclear whether Chinook is the reason for refusal rates increasing, asking for IRCC to release more data.

The problem with increased refusal rates goes beyond African applicants.

The study permit refusal rate for India increased from 34% in 2018 to 57% in 2020. Others have pointed to India, Mexico, Colombia where the number of refusals have also peaked.