Author: Chief Editor

Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s dream of winning a trophy this season will come to test again today when Manchester United meet Copenhagen of Denmark in one of the Europa League quarterfinal matches. Pay television broadcast outfit StarTimes will air the quarter-final matches of Europa League on its World Football and Sports Premium Channels. Apart from Odion Ighalo’s Manchester United game against Copenhagen, Victor Moses’ Inter Milan will also face Bayer Leverkusen today. On Tuesday, Shakhtar Donetsk will face Basel, while Wolves battle Sevilla. All matches will air at 8.00 p.m. Manchester United completed an emphatic 7-1 aggregate victory over LASK in…

• Martinez threatens to quit if not given more games Mesut Ozil has reportedly been offered an £18 million pay-off from Arsenal to end his Emirates nightmare, thesun.co.uk reports. The £350,000-a-week midfielder is unwanted by Gunners boss Mikel Arteta. The Germany international has just one year left on his contract and could easily decide not to kick a ball for the first team next season and still pick up his wages. But the Gunners now plan to pay his contract up in full to get him out of the club. Arsenal are reportedly ready to make him an offer to pay…

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has called on all members of the All Progressives Congress to work for the success of the APC in the governorship election. Akeredolu, who emerged the candidate of the party in the last primary after defeating nine other aspirants, specifically appealed to the aggrieved members to sheathe their swords and get united for the purpose of the party’s victory in the election. The governor stated this at the reconciliation meeting with stakeholders, held at Heritage Hotel, Akure, the state capital on Sunday. Some of the chieftains of the party who attended the meeting were Chief Pius Akinyelure,…

Disturbed by pervasive insecurity in the country, a coalition of civil society organisations, under the auspices of “JusticeNow Movement”, has called on prominent Nigerian leaders, including General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to speak up against the killings in parts of the federation and demand justice for the citizens. Also, a one-time governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife and erstwhile Special Adviser on Ethics and Values to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Sarah Jubril, have urged prayers to end the bloodletting. At a meeting on Saturday in…

The re-election bid of the incumbent Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, yesterday received a major boost as all governorship aspirants who lost at the primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) pledged to work towards ensuring success of the party in the October 20, 2020, governorship election. Akeredolu defeated 11 other aspirants with a wide margin of 2,458 votes while his closet rival, Chief Olusola Oke, got 262 votes to clinch the ticket. The former aspirants made the pledged in Akure at a meeting of the APC Advisory Council presided over by the national leader of the party,…

•Accuses APC of using federal might to intimidate voters Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has enjoined all political actors especially the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to give peace a chance in the September 19 governorship election in the state. He also accused them of wanting to use federal might subvert the will of the people in the election. Obaseki who stated this at an interactive session with journalists, last night in Government House, Benin City, added that for him as governor of the state, he had no intention of killing anyone to remain in power. However,…

The suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, may know his fate next week when the Justice Ayo Salami-led Judicial Commission of Inquiry is expected to submit its report to President Muhammadu Buhari, THISDAY has learnt. The president had on July 3 directed a Judicial Commission of Enquiry under the Tribunals of Inquiry Act (Cap T21, LFN, 2004), to investigate alleged financial impropriety and mismanagement of recovered assets leveled against Magu. The commission was mandated to conduct a public sitting on the activities of the commission since 2015. The letter inaugurating the panel,…

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would love Manchester United to round off the coronavirus-affected season by winning the Europa League which he says will be the proudest moment of his life. United travel to Germany on Sunday for the climax to the competition with Monday’s quarter-final against Danish outfit FC Copenhagen a launch-pad Solskjaer hopes for lifting the trophy on August 21. A potentially tougher semi-final looms with either AS Roma or Sevilla. Having already fallen short in two semi-finals this term — losing to Manchester City in the League Cup and Chelsea in the FA Cup — the Norwegian wants to…

A first coaching job and already high expectations, Andrea Pirlo’s arrival at Juventus has sparked hopes in Italy that he can follow footballing greats Zinedine Zidane and Pep Guardiola’s managerial success. The 41-year-old former Italy and Juventus star was promoted to the top job in Turin just a week after having being appointed coach of their U23 side. “Andrea Pirlo is starting a path that maybe one day will lead him to the top of the first team,” club president Andrea Agnelli said on July 31. A week later, Pirlo has already taken over from Maurizio Sarri after the reigning…

• Project to reduce capital flight, aid local content The federal government weekend said it has begun a feasibility study for the construction of a shipyard in Brass Island, Bayelsa State, which will be ready in six months to cater for the maintenance and repair services of cargo vessels, oil tankers and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carriers. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, who chaired the project’s kick-off meeting stated that it will be executed by China Harbour Engineering Company, which had carried out similar projects across the globe as well as in Nigeria. The feasibility…