Author: Chief Editor

Premier League clubs have voted to temporarily block teams from striking lucrative deals with businesses that have links to their club’s owners after the Saudi Arabia-backed takeover of Newcastle. The Guardian newspaper reported 18 clubs voted in favour of the ban at an emergency meeting on Monday, with Newcastle voting against and Manchester City abstaining. It is understood that both questioned the legality of the move. A temporary month-long ban on such deals will be put in place while the possibility of a permanent ban is debating. Many clubs in the English top-flight fear Newcastle’s wealthy Saudi owners could conclude…

Diego Simeone accepts Atletico Madrid are meeting a Liverpool side back to their best led by the “extraordinary” Mohamed Salah, reports The Argentinian masterminded victories in both legs of their last-16 encounter in 2020, which ended the Reds’ reign as European champions. However, Klopp’s team look even stronger this time around for today’s Champions League clash. They have scored three or more goals in all six away matches this season, found the net 33 times in 11 fixtures and have yet to fail to score in any match. Salah himself has 10 goals in as many appearances and has scored…

Barcelona wants to build for the future with the tantalising prospect of another group of teenage talents emerging together, but for now, reality still bites. After successive 3-0 losses to Bayern Munich and Benfica in Group E, another loss at home to Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday would leave them on the brink of Champions League elimination. It would bring closer the possibility of failing to reach the knock-out stage for the first time since 2003 when Barca had not qualified for the competition. The last time the club played in the group stage and crashed out was 2001 when they…

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has criticised FIFA’s plans for a biennial World Cup and expressed dismay that players have not been consulted. World football’s governing body announced on Monday that it will hold talks with national team coaches this week over the controversial idea, which has been met by opposition from European and South American governing bodies UEFA and CONMEBOL, as well as the International Olympic Committee. Modric won the Ballon d’Or after leading Croatia to the final of the last World Cup in 2018 and the 36-year-old said on Monday he is against the latest proposal. “I don’t…

Counsel to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Aloy Ejimakor has opposed the application by the Federal Government and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) seeking for extension of time at the High Court of Abia State. The defendants, in the application dated October 6, 2021, want the leave of court to enter their defence after exhausting the period allowed by the rules to do so in a suit filed by Kanu against them and six others at the court. The fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Ejimakor on behalf of Kanu is primarily aimed…

• I will respond to your false allegations in due time, Lai Mohammed tells Kwara gov • Stakeholders finger Amosun in cracks in Oyo APC, other states • Uzodimma conducted birthday party, not congress, says Okorocha • PDP Secretary-ship: Consensus threatened as more aspirants emerge from Southeast The internal crises in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following last weekend’s congresses across the country have continued to deepen. In Osun State, the crack widened, yesterday, between loyalists of former governor Rauf Aregbesola and supporters of Governor Gboyega Oyetola over control of the party. Aregbesola’s loyalists had dragged leadership of the party…

A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank Nigeria, Kingsley Moghalu, says he had an opportunity to join the All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party in 2019 but refused. Moghalu explained that neither of the parties can help to actualise his vision for Nigeria. He recently joined the African Democratic Congress to pursue his presidential ambition. He said this while speaking during an interview on Channels Television programme, The Chat. Moghalu said, “I do not believe that the Nigerian political leadership class is sincere or capable of changing this country for the better. “In 2019, I had the opportunity to join…

Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema goes on trial in France on Wednesday accused of complicity in the attempted blackmail of former international teammate Mathieu Valbuena in a case known as the “sextape affair”. Benzema, 33, stands accused of helping a group of alleged blackmailers to approach Valbuena in an attempt to extort money. Four other men are also on trial. The case cost both Benzema and 37-year-old Valbuena their place in the French national team, although Benzema was restored to the lineup for this year’s European championship. The case centres on the role that Benzema is suspected of playing in…

Samuel Ajayi  With both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) wrapping up their state congresses and gearing for the national conventions, attention will likely shift to the governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti. The 2022 governorship election in Osun is likely to be like never before because at no time will an incumbent be facing the battles that Gov. Gboyega Oyetola will likely face within the party and even without. The fight to retain his seat is heating up and will likely not relent. Even in 2018, when everyone worked together, it…

Udora Orizu This Wednesday, October 20, 2021 marks the 1st anniversary of the #EndSARS protest and Lekki shooting. Ahead of the anniversary, activists and youths have revealed a plan to stage peaceful protests in honour of the victims, who allegedly lost their lives at the dusk of October 20, 2020. The now defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, popularly known as (SARS) was established as a special police unit in 1992 to tackle increasing incidents of armed robberies and kidnappings for ransom by criminal elements operating across Nigeria. Originally set up to operate independently in order to target criminal groups, the…