Luis Rubiales Resigns As President Of Spanish FA

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September 11, 2023

The transitional Prime Minister in Gabon says a two-year deadline for the free elections promised by the military that overthrew President Ali Bongo was a reasonable objective.

Raymond Ndong Sima, a civilian appointed Prime Minister by the military last Thursday, elaborated by stating it was a good idea to start with a reasonable objective with hopes to see the process completed in 24 months, and return to elections.

Ndong Sima who was previously a leading opposition figure to ousted president Ali Bongo, was appointed head of the transitional government by General Oligui Nguema.

On August 30, the army overthrew Ali Bongo Ondimba, who had been in power for 14 years, moments after he was proclaimed re-elected in an election deemed fraudulent by the military and the opposition.

General Brice Oligui Nguema, proclaimed President of the transition, immediately promised to return power to civilians through elections at the end of a period which he did not announce.

On Saturday, Ndong Sima announced the composition of his government, appointed by General Oligui and comprising former ministers of the deposed president, members of the former opposition and civil society figures previously hostile to Mr. Bongo and his family, who had ruled the country for over 55 years.

The transitional charter put in place by the military prohibits members of the provisional government, including Ndong Sima, from standing in the forthcoming elections, but does not explicitly exclude General Oligui from running for the presidency.

General Oligui has also promised a new constitution, to be adopted by referendum, and a new electoral code, with the participation of all the living forces of the Nation.

ICRC Says Yemen’s Explosives Contamination Among World’s Worst

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September 11, 2023

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International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC has warned that Yemen has one of the world’s highest rates of contamination with landmines and other deadly explosives, nine years after the start of the brutal civil war.

The organization says the country is among the three countries worst affected by landmines and other deadly explosives.

The impoverished Arab nation, plunged into conflict when Iran-backed Huthi rebels seized the capital in September 2014, is among the three worst affected countries.

Experts estimate that at least one million mines have been planted during Yemen’s years of turmoil, causing a daily hazard along with unexploded shells and other military detritus.

A Saudi-led military coalition has been fighting the Huthis since March 2015 in a conflict that has left hundreds of thousands dead from direct and indirect causes such as famine.

According to the UN-linked Civilian Impact Monitoring Project, landmines, unexploded shells and other leftovers from fighting caused 1,469 civilian casualties over the past five years.

The ICRC also added that after conducting a series of interviews last year, it found that twenty percent of livestock owners living in two areas close to frontlines reported explosives contamination on their land.

Another ICRC survey of shepherds found that 70 percent had lost animals to landmines and other explosives.

Fighting in Yemen has calmed markedly after a UN-brokered ceasefire came into effect in April 2022 and has largely held even after the agreement lapsed in October 2022.

Egypt Angry As Ethiopia Fills Nile Dam Reservoir

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September 11, 2023

Egypt is expressing anger after Ethiopia announced it had filled the reservoir at a highly controversial hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile river.

Egypt relies on the Nile for nearly all its water needs and the country’s foreign ministry said Ethiopia was disregarding the interests of the downstream countries.

Ethiopia has been in dispute with Egypt and Sudan over the megaproject since its launch in 2011 but says the $4.2bn dam will not cut their share of Nile water.

Ethiopia believes the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd) will double the country’s electricity output, providing a vital development boost, as currently half the 127-million population lacks electricity.

The plan is to generate more than 6,000 MW at the dam, which is about 30km from Ethiopia’s border with Sudan.

Egypt and Sudan argue that common rules for the operation of Gerd must be agreed, fearing that energy-hungry Ethiopia may exacerbate their existing water shortages.

Negotiations over the project resumed last month, having been suspended in 2021.

Sudan – currently mired in fighting between rival armies – did not immediately react to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s announcement on Sunday.

In a statement on Facebook the Egyptian foreign ministry said Ethiopia’s “unilateral” filling of the reservoir violated a declaration of principles signed by the three countries in 2015, and branded Ethiopia’s action “illegal”.

Death Toll From Greece Floods Rises To 15

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September 11, 2023

Rescue workers in Greece say the death toll from flooding that has ravaged villages has risen to 15 people dead, with at least 11 fatalities from the devastating floods.

In a statement the Greek fire service said a total of 4,250 people were rescued and brought to safety on Saturday and into Sunday while Experts have described the event as “extreme in terms of the amount of water falling in a space of 24 hours.

Earlier in the day, three bodies, including a 65-year-old man and his 88-year-old mother, were found near the town of Karditsa, where rescue operations are continuing unabated.

The storm dubbed Daniel hit the coastal region of Magnesia on Monday and Tuesday, in particular its capital, the port city of Volos and the villages around Mount Pelion, before hitting localities around Karditsa and Trikala further inland on Wednesday.

According to local reports say the flooding has laid waste to thousands of hectares of rich agricultural land and farmers have also lost substantial livestock numbers.

In the port city of Volos, the water supply has become a problem, since pumping stations and a large part of the supply network were damaged. The health ministry has warned that the water is not suitable for drinking and there are reports of gastroenteritis emerging.

The entire Pelion peninsula region is still affected by power and water cuts, while main roads have been damaged by the torrential rain.

The situation also remains worrying near the city of Larissa, where the Pinios river has overflowed its banks and water is rising dangerously on the outskirts of the town.

Combined with other factors such as urbanisation and land-use planning, these more intense rainfall events contribute to flooding.

UK Warship Arrives Nigeria To Support Maritime Security

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September 11, 2023

UK WAR SHIP — HMS Trent and the operations she's carried out in the first month of her patrols in Southern European and African waters

UK Royal Navy warship, HMS Trent has arrived in Lagos to assist the country in the fight against piracy and illicit trafficking in the sub-region.

A statement by the British High Commission said, the ship’s visit, being its second to the country, would help deliver capacity training and support maritime security in the region.

UK Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Jonny Baxter said the deployment demonstrates how a truly Global Britain is stepping up on the world stage to tackle shared international security challenges.

Also, HMS Trent’s Commanding Officer, Commander Tim Langford, said it was an honour for HMS TRENT to return to Nigeria and expressed excitement at working with partner nations as they strive long term solutions to maritime insecurity challenges.

Langford said the Royal Navy has a long history of engagement within the region and an enduring partnership with the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

He said his team was looking forward to the opportunity to work with their Nigerian counterparts and build on the relationships established when we visited Lagos in 2021.

HMS Trent’s mission amongst other things is to ensure they can play an effective role in bringing stability to wider West Africa and departed Gibraltar carrying an expert boarding team of UK Royal Marines and a Puma surveillance drone.

With around £6 billion of UK trade passing through the region, part of Trent’s role is to support stability across the Gulf of Guinea through training, fostering ties and sharing knowledge, whilst conducting patrols to increase security.

2023 AFCONQ: Peseiro Lauds Super Eagles Commitment In Win Against Sao Tome

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September 11, 2023

Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro has praised his players for their remarkable attitude in the win against Sao Tome and Principe.

Peseiro’s side thrashed the True Patriots 6-0 in their final 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

Victor Osimhen netted a hat-trick with Ademola Lookman, Taiwo Awoniyi and Samuel Chukwueze scoring the other goals.

The Super Eagles put up a good display against their fellow West Africans despite already securing a place at the 2023 AFCON finals.

Peseiro was delighted with his players performance and exemplary attitude.

“My players showed commitment, I pushed them to do well. Normally when you play against a team that is not strong, everybody relax,”the Portuguese stated during his interaction with the media after the game.

“In this game, they didn’t relax, they put up a spectacle from the first minute to the last they were fighting. They played a good game, we won 6-0 which was good.”

The 63-year -also expressed his delight with the atmosphere inside the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.

“I will like to thank the people of Akwa Ibom State for the honour bestowed on us,”he added.

“The atmosphere inside the stadium was good and the fans were fantastic too. I want to say thank you to them. The pitch here is fantastic and the hotel too.”

Nigeria 6-0 Sao Tome: Super Eagles Player Ratings

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September 10, 2023

Nigeria spanked São Tomé 6-0 to end their 2023 AFCON qualification journey on Sunday September 10. Caretaker presents Super Eagles players’ ratings.

FRANCIS UZOHO: Had a quiet game and little or no work to do. Well, I will rate him for the confidence to start the goal kicks from the back. 6/10

OLA AINA: A confident shift at right-back for the Nottingham Forest man, joined the attack well and dribbled when he had to. 7/10

BRUNO ONYEAMACHI: Powerful performance for Bruno at left-back, his recovery of the ball and crosses were good. 8/10

CALVIN BASSEY: The Fulham FC defender had a good game at Center back. Not a lot of work to do defensively though, just passing the ball around to setup teamplay. 8/10

SEMI AJAYI: Just like Bassey, had little to do defensively. But his passing range was awesome. 8.5/10

WILFRED NDIDI: Captain of the day. Ndidi looked sharp and confident. 8.5/10

FRANK ONYEKA: Mobile and led the quick breaks forward. The Brentford man is not the attacking spice Alex Iwobi would have offered if he were in the game but that was job done. 7.5/10

KELECHI IHEANACHO: Started on the right side and was good with the set pieces. A good day for seniorman who had two assists for Osimhen and Chukwueze. 8.5/10

ADEMOLA LOOKMAN: Scored the second goal and was never shy of facing the Sao Tome defenders, reason Peseiro kept him for the entire game. 8/10

TAIWO AWONIYI: Had a poor first half but was blessed to start and finish the move for Nigeria’s third goal of the game. 7/10

VICTOR OSIMHEN: A very energetic performance from the Napoli forward whose every move was cheered on by the crowd at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

Osimhen scored a hattrick to reach 20 international goals for the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Man of the match 9.5/10.

SUBSTITUTES

VICTOR BONIFACE: Came on for Taiwo Awoniyi to make his international debut for Nigeria.

Unfortunately did not have opportunity to score but assisted the sixth goal scored by Samuel Chukwueze.

JOE ARIBO: The Southampton FC midfielder replaced Frank Onyeka. A quiet game he had but helped increase the tempo. 6/10.

TYRONE EBUEHI: Replaced Ola Aina at right-back to mark his return to International duty with the Super Eagles. A fair and quiet shift for the defender. 6/10.

SAMUEL CHUKWUEZE: The AC Milan forward started on the bench but came on to make significant contribution to the win. Assisted Victor Osimhen to score the 5th goal before scoring the 6th goal. 8/10

RAPHAEL ONYEDIKA: Spent little time on the turf. Not enough to earn a rating.

How I Convinced My Son To Play For Nigeria – Jordan Torunarigha’s Father

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September 10, 2023

Former Nigeria International Ojokojo Torunarigha has revealed how he convinced his son Jordan to dump Germany for the Super Eagles.

Jordan Torunirigha is part of 23 Super Eagles players for the AFCON qualifier vs Sao Tome and Principe today, Sunday September 10 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

That means, he could make his International bow Nigeria after initially turning down the opportunity in 2018 despite messages from then coach Genot Rohr.

Ojokojo Torunarigha who represented the Nigeria National team in the 90’s revealed what he told his son to follow his path.

” He rejected the chance to play for the Super Eagles in the past, but I had to convince him to change his mind,” Ojokojo said in Uyo.

“He was like I have never come down to Nigeria before, i don’t know much about the country.

” But I had to sit him down and tell him beautiful things about the country. I told him how passionate Nigerians are about football and how much they will appreciate him.

“So far, he is loving the experience of coming down here. This is his first time in Nigeria and we hope he will play for the Super Eagles for a long time.” Ojokojo Torunarigha said.

Gent defender Jordan Torunarigha himself revealed he rejected the Super Eagles call-up in 2018 because he was a youngster.

“I was quite young at that time and it was difficult to accept the offer to play for the Super Eagles, ”

“This is my first call-up and I hope I will be given time to show the fans, who have been criticizing me for denying Nigeria all through, what I am made of, ” Jordan Torunarigha said.

2026 World Cup Qualifier: Super Eagles Begin Campaign With Home Game Against Lesotho

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September 10, 2023