Lobi Stars and Enyimba open the Match Day 2 of the championship contest of the Nigerian Premier League as both will attempt to get their first full points.
Record Nigerian champions, Enyimba were forced to a 2-2 draw by Remo Stars in the opening game of the Super 6 league last Saturday.
The drawn match currently put them joint second with Remo Stars.
Lobi Stars also played a drawn game on Saturday night as they fired blank against yet to be beaten Bendel Insurance who will also be looking for their first full points when they engage bottom placed Sunshine Stars in the last match of the day.
Sunshine Stars are the only sides without a point as they lost their Match Day 1 game to defending champions, Rivers United.
The Port Harcourt side will face Remo Stars in the second game of the day.
All matches are holding at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos.
Nigeria’s Odion Ighalo’s depature from Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal could be a way of creating the vacancy which the legendary Lionel Messi has come to fill.
It was in similar circumstance that Cameroon’s captain, Vincent Aboubakar had to leave Al Nassr so that the club could accommodate Cristiano Ronaldo.
Senior officials from Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal football club have flown to Paris to seal a mega-deal with departing superstar Lionel Messi, two sources with knowledge of the matter told AFP on Sunday.
The Saudi delegation plans to meet Messi’s father and agent, Jorge, with the aiming of completing the signing as soon as possible, the sources said.
According to earlier reports, the Argentina footballer will earn $1 billion (S$1.45 billion) for a two-year contract.
Messi’s departure from Qatar-owned Saint Germain was confirmed on Saturday and he was jeered by a section of the club’s fans in his final appearance, a 3-2 defeat by Clermont.
“There is a Saudi delegation in Paris with one goal: to return with Messi official approval to the Saudi offer,” a source close to the club said.
Another official, who is close to the negotiations, said: “We are in the final stage of the deal.
“If everything goes well, Messi will sign his new contract and Al-Hilal will announce it before the weekend.”
Messi, 35, arrived in Paris two seasons ago from Barcelona but was unable to help PSG win an elusive Champions League title, as the club suffered last-16 defeats in both campaigns with the Argentine maestro.
Along with oil-wealthy Saudi Arabia – where Cristiano Ronaldo has been playing since January – the seven-time Ballon d’Or-winner has also been linked with a return to Barcelona and with David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
He is not the only star being courted by Saudi Arabia, which is attempting to improve its austere image and attract tourists and investment, partly through the vehicle of sport.
On Saturday, Saudi state television channel Al-Ekhbariya said French striker Karim Benzema, who is leaving Real Madrid, had signed with Jeddah-based Al-Ittihad.
According to Al-Ekhbariya, the Saudi champions’ president and his deputy were in the Spanish capital to sign Benzema in a “record transfer with Real Madrid”.
Saudi-Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, has thrown hundreds of millions at sports deals including Ronaldo’s signing, Formula One and the divisive LIV Golf tour, drawing frequent claims it is “sportswashing” its human rights record.
Last month, a source close to the negotiations in Saudi Arabia told AFP that Messi’s signing was a “done deal”, describing the contract as “huge”.
Messi, who lifted the World Cup in Qatar in December, was suspended by Qatari-owned PSG last month for an unauthorised mid-season trip to Saudi, where he is a tourism ambassador.
People walk through a busy neighbourhood as fires are lit in Dakar on June 1, 2023, during unrest following the sentence of opponent Ousmane Sonko. A court in Senegal on Thursday sentenced opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, to two years in prison on charges of "corrupting youth" but acquitted him of rape and issuing death threats. (Photo by GUY PETERSON / AFP) (Photo by GUY PETERSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The Senegalese government has acknowledged that it restricted access to social networks Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter in order to stop “the dissemination of hateful and subversive messages”.
While overnight clashes in Senegal on Saturday brought the death toll to 15 in the two days since a court convicted opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, the government was actively working to prevent the news from circulating online.
Sonko’s ongoing legal woes have prompted rare flare-ups of violence in Senegal, typically a bastion of stability in West Africa, and foreign allies have urged a return to calm.
Sonko, a 48-year-old former tax inspector, may be cut out of the 2024 presidential race following a two years prison sentence.
Clashes between Sonko’s supporters and police broke out after the ruling on Thursday, leaving nine people dead. Shops and businesses were ransacked.
The army was deployed to the streets but fresh scuffles erupted on Friday night in parts of the capital, Dakar, and in Ziguinchor.
They left another six dead, government spokesman Maham Ka said .
Burned-out cars, tyres and debris-strewn streets bore testimony to another night of violence.
Government spokesman Abdou Karim Fofana said on Friday that the violence was not fuelled by “political demands” but “acts of vandalism and banditry”.
“These are difficult times for the Senegal nation that we will overcome,” he told TFM.
On social media, the Senegal conversation is starting a little late and people are blaming Twitter CEO, Elon Musk for shadow-banning the relevant hashtags.
Sonko, who was tried in absentia, has yet to be taken into custody for his jail term, which is predicted to cause further tensions.
He is presumed to be at his Dakar home, where security forces have blocked him since the weekend. He alleges he is being “illegally held”.
Sharp-tongued and charismatic, Sonko has drawn a strong following among Senegal’s youth, who love his barbs against a political elite he refers to as the “state mafia”.
He has spoken out against debt, poverty, food insecurity, under-funded health and education systems and corruption.
Sonko, who has two wives, portrays himself as a devout Muslim and defender of traditional values and has called for harsher penalties for same-sex relations.
However, supporters of President Macky Sall see him as a rabble-rouser who has poisoned political discourse and sown instability.
Another group, facing the uncertainty of unrest are Senegalese Students, forced to leave the capital’s main university campus after violent clashes lead to widespread destruction.
On Friday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the violence and “urged all those involved to… exercise restraint”.
The African Union said the head of its executive commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, strongly condemned the violence and urged leaders to avoid acts which “tarnish the face of Senegalese democracy, of which Africa has always been proud”.
The European Union and Senegal’s former colonial power France also expressed concern over the violence.
Rights group Amnesty International has urged authorities to stop “arbitrary arrests” and lift restrictions on access to social networks.
Now that the country has banned access to social media platforms, users blame platform owners for the delay.
Prince Harry’s battle with the British press is headed for a showdown in a London courtroom this week with the publisher of the Daily Mirror.
The Duke of Sussex is scheduled to testify in the High Court after his lawyer presents opening statements Monday in the first of his legal cases to go to trial. It’s one of three alleging tabloids unlawfully snooped on the prince in their cutthroat competition for scoops on the royal family.
Harry will be the first member of the British royal family in more than a century to testify in court. He is expected to describe his anguish and anger over being hounded by the media throughout his life, and its impact on those around him.
Harry, 38, has blamed paparazzi for causing the car crash that killed his mother, Princess Diana, and said harassment and intrusion by the U.K. press, including allegedly racist articles, led him and his wife, Meghan, to flee to the U.S. in 2020 and leave royal life behind.
Articles he has cited date back to his 12th birthday, in 1996, when the Mirror reported Harry was feeling “badly” about the divorce of his mother and father, now King Charles III.
Harry said in court documents that the reports made him wonder who he could trust as he feared friends and associates were betraying him by leaking information to the newspapers. His circle of friends grew smaller and he suffered “huge bouts of depression and paranoia.” Relationships fell apart as the women in his life – and even their family members – were “dragged into the chaos.”
He says he later discovered that the source wasn’t disloyal friends but aggressive journalists and the private investigators they hired to eavesdrop on voicemails and track him to locations as remote as Argentina and an island off Mozambique.
Mirror Group Newspapers said it didn’t hack Harry’s phone and its articles were based on legitimate reporting techniques. The publisher admitted and apologized for hiring a private eye to dig up dirt on one of Harry’s nights out at a bar, but the resulting 2004 article headlined “Sex on the beach with Harry” is not among the 33 in question at trial.
Phone hacking that involved guessing or obtaining security codes to listen in on celebrities’ cell phone voice messages was widespread at British tabloids in the early years of this century. It became an existential crisis for the industry after the revelation in 2011 that the News of the World had hacked the phone of a slain 13-year-old girl.
Owner Rupert Murdoch shut down the paper and several of his executives faced criminal trials.
Mirror Group has paid more than 100 million pounds ($125 million) to settle hundreds of unlawful information-gathering claims, and printed an apology to phone hacking victims in 2015. But it denies executives – including Piers Morgan, who was editor of the Daily Mirror editor between 1995 and 2004 — knew about hacking.
Harry’s fury at the U.K. press — and sometimes at his own royal relatives for what he sees as their collusion with the media — runs through his memoir, “Spare,” and interviews conducted by Oprah Winfrey and others. His claims will face a tough audience in court when he is cross-examined by Mirror Group’s attorney.
The opening statements being presented on Monday mark the second phase of a trial in which Harry and three others have accused the Mirror of phone hacking and unlawful information gathering.
In the first part, attorney David Sherborne, who represents Harry and the other claimants, including two actors from the soap opera “Coronation Street,” said the unlawful acts were “widespread and habitual” at the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People, and carried out on “an industrial scale.”
Several people have died in clashes that erupted after Senegalese opposition figure Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison.
Sonko’s supporters allegedly threw rocks at riot police and set fire to buses on Thursday after a court sentenced him in absentia for “corrupting youth”.
Sonko had been acquitted of rape charges and sending death threats, accusations the supporters denounce as a ploy to prevent him from running in presidential elections scheduled for February 2024.
Sonko’s PASTEF party said the verdict was part of a political plot and called on citizens in a statement to “stop all activity and take to the streets”. The case has triggered violent protests in the West African country since 2021, amid growing frustration with the current President Macky Sall.
Critics say, Sall, who was elected in 2012, has failed to create jobs and has stifled opposition criticism amid rumours he may seek to bypass presidential term limits and run again next year.
Meanwhile, Sonko placed third in Senegal’s 2019 presidential election and is popular with the country’s youth. He is considered President Macky Sall’s main competition and has urged Sall to state publicly that he will not seek a third term in office.
Sonko was not present at his trial and is yet to be taken into custody for his jail term, which is predicted to stoke further tensions.
Meanwhile, reports say calm has returned to the streets of Dakar after over 72 hours of violence.
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles’ quest to win their first-ever U-20 World Cup ended in the quarter-final stage on Sunday, after they lost 1-0 to South Korea at the Santiago Del Estero.
An extra-time goal by Choi Seok-hyeon was the difference as the Asians progressed to the semi-final of the U-20 World Cup in Argentina, where they face European champions, Italy.
Ladan Bosso made one change to the side that defeated hosts Argentina on Wednesday as Samson Lawal made way for Victor Eletu, who provided the assist for the second goal against the South Americans four days earlier.
Nigeria started the encounter as the better side and almost got the opener just two minutes into the game.
After dribbling past two opponents, Daniel Bameyi floated a nice cross into the Korean area, but the ball, intended for Ibrahim Muhammad, was blocked and cleared into safety following frantic defending by the Asians.
Bosso’s boys continued their dominance and in the eight minute, Abel Ogwueche almost broke the deadlock.
A well-taken corner-kick by Tochukwu Nnadi was headed straight into the hands of goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong by Ogwueche.
The Flying Eagles continued their dominance and were able to contain the pacy and skilful Red Devils.
At the start of the second half head coach Kim Eun-jung sent in Bae Jun-ho to replace Kang Seong-jin as he added more threat to his attack.
Despite the early change from the coach, the Nigerians remained the team looking likely to score and captain Bameyi drew out a fine save from Jun-hong after hitting a long-range shot with venom, but the goalkeeper was equal to the task to keep the score level.
After an hour of action, South Korea began to look more dangerous and had their first shot of the game, with Lee Seung-joon’s curler beating Kingsley Aniagboso, in goal for Nigeria, but narrowly missed the target.
In response, Bosso made two quick changes as he sent in Umeh Emmanuel and Kehinde Ibrahim for Fago Lawal and Muhammad respectively.
Bameyi then missed the opportunity to give Nigeria the late winner after winning the ball from Park Hyun-bin on the edge of the box in the 86th minute, but he dragged his shot just wide as the game headed into extra time.
And just four minutes into extra time, South Korea took the lead with their first shot on target in the encounter, Lee Young-jun’s corner-kick headed in by Choi Seok-hyeon.
With just 10 minutes left, Emmanuel squandered a glorious chance to hand Nigeria an equaliser after he volleyed his shot way high beyond the posts from inside the box.
The Taegeuk Warriors will now face Italy on Thursday for a place in the final. The Flying Eagles had the better of the play during the first 90 minutes, but struggled to create any meaningful opportunities against a resilient defence. The South Koreans held onto their slender lead as they sealed a spot in the semi-final of the competition.
Nigeria’s U20 girls, Falconets were unlucky in the lottery of penalty shootout, losing 1-3 to Ghana’s Black Princesses in the final of the WAFU B U20 Women Championship in Kumasi on Saturday.
Stella Nyamekye made no mistake from the spot to put the Black Princesses ahead in the 39th minute, but two-time FIFA World Cup silver-medallists Nigeria roared back to contention when Flourish Sebastine equalized with four minutes left in regulation time.
However, they could not hold their own in the spot kicks, scoring only one of their four kicks while Ghana scored three of their five to claim the trophy.
Defeat in the final was a hard one to swallow for the Falconets, who scored a total of 20 goals in their five matches at the tournament.
President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau has again implored Nigeria’s U20 boys, Flying Eagles to be focused and disciplined as they go all out for a semi-final ticket against South Korea in the ongoing FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Argentina.
The NFF President made the plea during a video conversation with players and officials of the team on Saturday.
Gusau also commended the team for their resilience and victory against host-nation Argentina in the Round of 16 tie on Wednesday and urged them to put up even a stronger performance against the nifty Asians on Sunday.
“Gentlemen, I want to use this medium to commend and congratulate you for the hard-fought win against Argentina. What you demonstrated was the true Nigeria spirit and I urge you to replicate the same against South Korea tomorrow.
“The game tomorrow is crucial and I believe you can do it for yourselves, your families and above all our dear nation, Nigeria. Nigerians are happy with your performance over there and are solidly behind you.”
The Flying Eagles will be gunning for a semi-final ticket at the FIFA U20 World Cup finals for the first time since 2005, when they go up against the South Koreans on Sunday at the Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in the City of Santiago Del Estero. The game starts at 2.30pm Argentina time (6.30pm Nigeria time).
On Saturday evening, Israel held on valiantly to eliminate five-time champions Brazil 3-2 after extra time, to become the first team to reach the last four.
Israel produced one of the biggest wins in its football history on Saturday, stunning Brazil 3-2 in extra time to qualify for the semi-finals of the Under-20 World Cup.
A tightly contested encounter saw Israel come back from behind twice before grabbing the shock victory through Dor Turgeman’s brilliant solo strike.The Israelis will face either Uruguay or the United States in the semi-finals.
After a scoreless first half at the Bicentenario stadium, Brazil, five-times winners of the tournament, broke through in the 56th minute on Marcos Leonardo’s superbly-taken, first-time left-foot shot.
Anan Khalaili brought Israel level, rising at the back post to angle home a header from a pinpoint El Yam Kancepolski cross in the 60th minute, delighting a largely pro-Israel crowd in the stands.
But Israel’s hopes dimmed just 20 seconds into extra time, when Andrey Santos set up Matheus Nascimento to restore Brazil’s lead.
Just two minutes later, however, Hamza Shibli equalized, tapping in a low ball from Ilay Feingold at the back post to make it 2-2.
The decisive goal came, near the end of the first period of extra-time, when Turgeman collected the ball on the edge of the box, jinked cleverly past two defenders and then fired past Kaique Pereira.
Ilay Madmon and Ahmad Ibrahim would both miss penalties for Israel in the second period of extra-time, but Ofir Haim’s side were able to hold on.
“When I was a kid, I used to play a lot in the neighbourhood, outside my house and I used to always try to pull off things like that, so I think the goal came from there,” said Turgeman.
“I’m really thrilled and proud of it. I’m so emotional. I’m very happy that I’ve made all Israelis happy. This is huge for my country. It’s unbelievable.”
Brazil were fancied by many pundits to continue their excellent record in this tournament and Tay Abed said they knew the odds were stacked against them.
“We knew before the game that nobody was giving us a chance, But we believed in ourselves. Brazil are a fantastic team, one of the best in this tournament. But we went out to play with our hearts, play with passion,” he said.
Abded said the Israeli team now believed they could go all the way.
“We’re taking it step by step,” said Abed. “We’ve now reached the semi-finals. If we keep playing like this, with the passion and the heart, we can do it,” he said.
Israel are the first debutants to reach the semi-finals of a FIFA Under-20 World Cup since Senegal in 2015.
The senior Israeli national team has only once qualified for the World Cup finals, going out in the group stage in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
It is on this day 40 years ago that the Flying Eagles defeated the Soviet Union in Monterrey in the U20 World Cup. It was also Nigeria’s first outing in a FIFA organised tournament as the featuring at the 1968 and that of 1980 Olympics were under the auspices of the IOC.
Symbolically, the Nigeria – Korea Republic quarter-final duel at theSantiago del Estero Stadium offers a perfect anniversary package.
It will be the Flying Eagles’ 61st match in the series as the 2-0 defeat of Argentina was Nigeria’s milestone 60th match.
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