Sports Updates

[Edoman]

EPL: Solskjaer singles out one Chelsea player after 0-0 draw with Man Utd


 
on
 October 25, 2020




Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has singled out Chelsea goalkeeper, Eduoard Mendy for praise, following their 0-0 draw on Saturday.


Speaking with the media, Solskjaer labelled Mendy as the “match winner”.


In a tight game at Old Trafford, neither team produced many chances.


United had two big chances through Marcus Rashford, but on each occasion, Mendy was on hand to keep the ball out.


Solskjaer felt his side narrowly edged the contest and hailed the former Rennes keeper as the man of the match, feeling United would have got all three points but for the goalkeeper.

“Two good teams, quality in either end of the pitch. You can see their keeper today, I think he’s the match winner,” Solskjaer told MUTV after the game.

[url=https://dailypost.ng/2020/10/24/barcelona-vs-real-madrid-messi-fails-to-score-as-koeman-loses-first-el-clasico/][/url]
“Two fantastic saves from Marcus. The one in the second half, an unbelievable save, I’m standing just behind it and following it to the top corner. Great finish, great save.


“The first one was well blocked with his right foot. So I think it’s an even game.”

[Edoman]

Manchester United star, Paul Pogba "quits" France's Football team over President Macron’s comments on ‘Islamist terrorism’







Paul Pogba has reportedly quit international football after French President Emmanuel Macron's comments on ‘Islamist terrorism’

The Manchester United midfielder, 27, allegedly made the decision after President Macron said on Friday October 23, that 'monstrosity of Islamist terrorism' must be dealt with strongly.
 
The president was speaking in the wake of the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, 47, who was attacked on his way home from the junior high school where he taught in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, 40km northwest of Paris.
 
He was accused of showing his class two offensive cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. 
 

 
Mr. Paty was posthumously awarded the French Legion d'honneur,  France’s highest honour, in recognition of the fact that he died for trying to explain the importance of freedom of speech.

President Macron described the murder as an ‘Islamic terrorist attack’ that took the life of the French teacher, according to The Sun. 
 
He reportedly said: “Unity and firmness are the only answers to the monstrosity of Islamist terrorism.”

Pogba's apparent resignation was published Sunday October 25, in the Arabic sports website 195sports.com. 

The report said the decision to give the teacher the Legion d'honneur and the comments made by President Macron made Pogba quit international football. 

Pogba, who is a devoted Muslim made his international debut back in 2013 and went on to lift the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He has won 72 caps and scored ten goals for Les Bleus.

[Edoman]

Cristiano Ronaldo under investigation in Italy for breaking coronavirus rules







Cristiano Ronaldo is under investigation for breaking coronavirus rules when he flew from Portugal to Italy after testing positive for the disease.
 
Recall the five-time Ballon d'Or winner tested positive for Covid-19 while on international duty with Portugal earlier this month and flew back to Italy via a private air ambulance. 
 
When asked if Ronaldo had breached Covid-19 rules after he flew back to Turin, Italy's sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora told Rai Radio: 'Yes, I think so, if there were no specific authorisations from the health authority.'
 
Ronaldo later dismissed Spadafora's claim, claiming he followed all necessary procedures.
 
The 35-year-old said on Instagram on October 16: 'I'm always at home, now I'm sunbathing, also to let the days pass. I'm respecting the protocol, I did not break it, as has been said: It's a lie.
 
'I returned from Portugal because my team and I made sure to comply with all the procedures. 
 
'I returned to Italy by air ambulance and I have had no contact with anyone, even in Turin.'
 
Ronaldo also added: 'My family is on another floor of the house, we can't be in contact.'
 
Now Spadafora has said the Juventus star 'did not respect' protocols with his flight home while infected and he's being investigated by the Federal Prosecutor's Office. 
 
'Cristiano did not respect the protocol. There is an investigation by the Federal Prosecutor's Office to prove it,' he told Rai Tre. 
 
'The virus has taught us that no one is exempt, obviously, they are all people who have tried to respect the protocols as much as possible, but the only solution in the end is to stay at home.' 

[Edoman]

Real Madrid midfielder Isco hits out at manager Zinedine Zidane for ostracizing him






 

Real Madrid and Spain playmaker, Isco has  attacked his club boss, Zinedine Zidane claiming that he is being ostracised by the Frenchman.
 
Isco, 28, has not played in any of Los Blancos' last two outings, the 3-1 Clasico victory over Barcelona on Saturday and the stunning 3-2 Champions League loss to Shakhtar Donetsk three days earlier.
 
This season he has made just four appearances, a situation he isn't pleased about.
 
          
 
“If he has to take me off, he takes me off in the 50th or 60th minute of the game. Sometimes even at half-time,” Isco complained on Movistar+’s ‘El Partidazo’ program.
 “If he has to put me on, he’ll do it in the 80th minute.”
 
In his seven years at Real Madrid, Isco has not played full back-to-back league matches for three years. In that time, he has played the full duration of only six fixtures in La Liga. 


“The win was a result of the defensive work of the group,” Sergio Ramos pointed out after the weekend’s win at Camp Nou. “We have run, we have suffered, and there is the result. 

“It is the line that we must reach and maintain throughout the season. In the end, in football there are things that cannot be negotiated such as attitude and intensity, and the team has put in the maximum from the beginning to the end.”

[Edoman]

Ex-Man City youth player, Jeremy Wisten "commits suicide" at 17 after being released by the club







Former Man. City youth player, Jeremy Wisten has reportedly taken his own life after being released by the club
 
Witsen, a promising talent born in Malawi and raised in the UK, joined Man City at the U-13 level in February 2016 and was recently released by the club.
 
According to Malawi24, the 17-year-old was left depressed by the club's decision to release him and he decided to take his life.
 
Details of his death remain unclear, but Manchester City and senior players at the club including Raheem Sterling and Aymeric Laporte have paid tribute to the former academy player. 

 
A City statement read: "The Manchester City family are saddened to learn of the passing of former academy player Jeremy Wisten. We send our deepest condolences to his friends and family.
 
Our thoughts are with you at this difficult time."


 
Jeremy Wisten had high hopes of flourishing at Manchester City before his sudden demise. 

[Edoman]

[b]Arsenal Lose At Home To Leicester For The First Time In The EPL As Vardy Scores[/b]


Jamie Vardy came off the bench to score a customary goal against Arsenal and send Leicester to within a point of the Premier League summit with a first win at the Gunners' home since 1973.

Vardy, 33, had missed two games with a calf injury but was reintroduced after a largely sterile opening hour at Emirates Stadium and promptly ended a 262-minute Leicester goal drought in the league.

The former England international headed home fellow substitute Cengiz Under's smart pass to bring up a remarkable 11th Premier League goal against Arsenal in 12 appearances. Only Wayne Rooney, with 12, has more goals.

Until Vardy's arrival Leicester had barely threatened but they have now won their opening three away league games for the first time.

Arsenal were disappointing and, despite dominating possession and having 12 shots on goal, never looked like seriously testing Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel as they slipped to a first home league defeat of 2020.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta criticised the decision to disallow an Alexandre Lacazette header for offside early in the first half.

"I'm really disappointed. We had it in our hands in the first half and I don't know how the hell the goal was disallowed.

"They caught us with space at the back and in that moment we lost the game."

The scourge of Arsenal
Four summers ago Arsenal tried to prise Vardy away from Leicester and he continues to pile on the regret with every game.

He had only 11 touches after replacing Dennis Praet, but still scored the winner and was only denied a second by the head of Bernd Leno as he raced through on goal late on.

Leicester lined up with no forward at all in his absence, with winger Harvey Barnes nominally playing up front, and their lack of cutting edge meant James Maddison had all four of their efforts, all from outside the area, before number nine Vardy came on.

Their improvement was as marked as it was predictable with Vardy on the field, and it was no surprise when they grabbed the lead.

Youri Tielemans' excellent pass over the top freed Under, and he squared for the free Vardy to score with a stooping header.

There is no more clinical player in the Premier League. Vardy has scored six goals from just nine shots this season - 20 fewer than Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and one fewer than the champions' full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Last season Leicester capitulated from a position which seemed certain to deliver Champions League football, when they were 14 points ahead of Manchester United at the start of February. Could they seal the deal this time around?

Predictable Gunners firing blanks
Arsenal thought they had scored in the opening minutes when Lacazette headed in from a corner, but Granit Xhaka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were both offside.

From that point Arsenal controlled the game for the most part, but, despite Kieran Tierney raiding with intent down the left, they struggled to bust open the organised visitors.

Arsenal had 11 shots in the first half but Schmeichel's only save of note came from the one effort after the break, pushing out a decent volley from Hector Bellerin.

Aubameyang, who has now gone five Premier League games without a goal for the first time, was largely anonymous.

Thomas Partey made a much-vaunted full league debut in midfield but was not alone in failing to shine as Arsenal moved the ball painfully slowly at times.

They have scored only eight goals in six league games this season. They have managed fewer at this stage in one of the previous 20 campaigns, when they scored five goals in 2015-16.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54588008

[Edoman]

FA Cup draw confirmed [Full fixtures]

on
 October 26, 2020



The draw for the FA Cup first round were conducted on Monday night.
The ties are due to be played the weekend of November 7, 2020.


Clubs are due to receive £22,629 prize money if they win their games.


There will not be any replays in this season’s edition of the FA Cup as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Games will instead go to extra time and penalties if they end as a draw after 90 minutes.

First round draw in full:
Leyton Orient vs Newport County
Havant & Waterlooville vs Cray Valley Paper Mills
Sunderland vs Mansfield Town
Bolton Wanderers vs Crewe Alexandra
Oxford United vs Peterborough United
Exeter City vs AFC Fylde
Tonbridge Angels vs Bradford City
Walsall vs Bristol Rovers
Rochdale vs Chesterfield
Swindon Town vs Darlington
Barnet vs Burton Albion
Wigan Athletic vs Chorley
Tranmere Rovers vs Accrington Stanley
Oxford City vs Northampton Town

Maldon & Tiptree vs Morecambe
Bromley vs Yeovil
Torquay United vs Crawley Town
Eastbourne Borough vs Blackpool
Cheltenham Town vs South Shields
Stevenage vs Concord Rangers

Harrogate Town vs Skelmersdale United
Gillingham vs Woking
Charlton Athletic vs Plymouth Argyle
Hayes & Yeading United vs Carlisle United
FC United of Manchester vs Doncaster Rovers
Salford City vs Hartlepool United
Scunthorpe United vs Solihull Moors
Hull City vs Fleetwood Town
Colchester United vs Marine

Barrow vs AFC Wimbledon
Dagenham & Redbridge vs Grimsby Town
Cambridge United vs Shrewsbury Town
Brackley Town vs Bishop’s Stortford/St Albans City
Eastleigh vs MK Dons
Hampton & Richmond Borough vs Oldham Athletic
Boreham Wood vs Southend United
Ipswich Town vs Portsmouth
Port Vale vs King’s Lynn Town
Lincoln City vs Forest Green Rovers
Banbury United vs Canvey Island

[Edoman]

[b]Pele Ranked The Greatest Footballer Of All Time By BBC Poll, Messi 2nd 

As Pele turned 80, BBC Sport asked it's thousands of readers to rate his achievements among some of the other GOATs[/b]

The results have now been counted and Pele was ranked as the greatest, with Barcelona's Lionel Messi in second and Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo in third.

We have put the players in order of the results below.

Note: The Ballon d'Or could only be won by a European player until 1995

1: Pele (Santos, NY Cosmos & Brazil)

World Cup wins: 1958, 1962, 1970 European Cup/Champions League wins: 0
Ballons d'Or: 0
League titles: 7
International caps/goals: 92/77

A teenage dream who was the highest-paid and highest-profile sports star in the world in his pomp, Pele was a phenomenon.

Breaking on to the global scene aged 17 with a hat-trick in the World Cup semi-final and two more in the final, Brazil's leading goalscorer is one of just four players to have scored in four different World Cup tournaments (1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970).

He won three of those and was kicked out of the '66 tournament in England through some brutal defending - the only way to stop him.

Not just a goalscorer, Pele had a hand in 53% of Brazil's 19 goals as they won the 1970 World Cup (four goals, six assists) and was as adept at playing behind the main striker as he was leading the line.

The greatest? Or does the fact he never played club football in Europe hold him back in your eyes?

"Had he been playing now, Pele would surely have made the move to Europe," says BBC Radio 5 Live football correspondent John Murray.

"It's the difficulty with comparing generations. We can only judge him on the record he has and it is truly phenomenal.

"The achievements of Maradona, Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo make it a close call but, even now, Pele still has a strong claim to be considered the game's greatest player."

2: Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina)

World Cup wins: 0
European Cup/Champions League wins: 4
Ballons d'Or: 6
League titles: 10
International caps/goals: 140/71

"No-one else does the things he does, the way he does them - and no-one ever has done. He is simply the greatest to have ever played the game."

The words of Gary Lineker no less.

Can you even mount an argument against Messi being number one on this list? We all know just how good he is. Perhaps a lack of international success with Argentina and 'only' winning things with Barcelona? But we're splitting hairs there.

An absolute genius.

3: Cristiano Ronaldo (Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus & Portugal)

World Cup wins: 0
European Cup/Champions League wins: 5
Ballons d'Or: 5
League titles: 7
International caps/goals: 167/101

The Champions League's all-time top goalscorer and scorer of 100 goals for Portugal - Cristiano Ronaldo is a remarkable player. Especially when you consider how he has reinvented himself from spindly winger to powerful number nine.

Whether you rank him ahead of Messi or not is the debate of our footballing time - unlike Messi, though, he has won titles in three countries. And won a major tournament with his national side.

4: Diego Maradona (Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, Newell's Old Boys & Argentina)

World Cup wins: 1986
European Cup/Champions League wins: 0
Ballons d'Or: 0
League titles: 3
International caps/goals: 91/34

What a player. If you haven't seen it, please go and watch the recent documentary about his time in Naples. It's superb.

Single-handedly (pretty much) dragged his Argentina team to World Cup glory, and carried Napoli to two Serie A titles. Does that separate him from Lionel Messi? Up to you.

5: Johan Cruyff (Ajax, Barcelona, LA Aztecs, Washington Diplomats, Levante, Feyenoord & the Netherlands)

World Cup wins: 0
European Cup/Champions League wins: 3
Ballons d'Or: 3
League titles: 10
International caps/goals: 48/33

A supremely gifted individual who was also all about the team - not winning a World Cup with his band of ludicrously good Dutch brothers in the 1970s may be the only blot on his copybook.

Produced one of the World Cup's most famous moments, had a turn named after him, and went on to inspire Pep Guardiola and countless others when coaching Barca's so-called 'dream team' of the early 1990s.

Lost a lot of money with an unwise investment in pig farming - which is not a line you're likely to ever read about Messi or Ronaldo...

6: Ronaldo de Lima (Cruzeiro, PSV, Barcelona, Inter, Real Madrid, Milan, Corinthians & Brazil)

World Cup wins: 1994, 2002
European Cup/Champions League wins: 0
Ballons d'Or: 2
League titles: 1
International caps/goals: 98/62

Wherever you end up ranking Ronaldo, we can all agree he would be higher if it wasn't for horrific injuries. At his peak, perhaps in his season at Barcelona or his first year at Inter before yet another setback, he was as close to unplayable as it gets. It's no wonder he broke the world transfer record twice by the age of 21.

Take a look at his highlights reel and observe - the jaw-dropping close control, the trademark step-overs at speed that humiliated a decade of goalkeepers, the powerful finish with either foot - he really was something else.

It's bordering on criminal that he only won one league title in his career. One!

7: Franz Beckenbauer (Bayern Munich, NY Cosmos, Hamburg & West Germany)

World Cup wins: 1974
European Cup/Champions League wins: 3
Ballons d'Or: 2
League titles: 8
International caps/goals: 103/14

'Der Kaiser' won the World Cup as player and manager and is living proof you don't have to be an attacker to rank among the very best.

A playmaker even from centre-back, Beckenbauer was equally at home in midfield or defence and made his debut on the left wing. What you call a total player.

He won three European Cups in a row for the dominant Bayern side of the mid-1970s.

8: Zinedine Zidane (Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus, Real Madrid & France)

World Cup wins: 1998
European Cup/Champions League wins: 1
Ballons d'Or: 1
League titles: 3
International caps/goals: 108/31

Another player who didn't win nearly enough honours, and much like Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane re-imagined a position.

Before 'Zizou' the stereotypical number 10 was your playmaker but could be kicked out of the game, was there to be shot at. Not a chance with Zidane, who combined the speed of thought and foot of a ballerina with the frame and menace of a cruiserweight.

At his best Zidane was so good I couldn't even really tell you where he played. A number 10, sure, but he'd often end up on the left, drop deep to take the ball from the defence or goalkeeper, and yet somehow still pop up in the area as well.

Not an out-and-out goalscorer or a striker, but still won the World Cup for France with two headers and scored the best goal ever seen in a Champions League final.

A complete player, who even knew how to sign off in disgrace with a red card for a headbutt after scoring in his second World Cup final.

9: Ferenc Puskas (Budapest Honved, Real Madrid & Hungary & Spain)

World Cup wins: 0
European Cup/Champions League wins: 3
Ballons d'Or: 0
League titles: 10
International caps/goals: 89/87

There is a legitimate case for stating the 'Magic Magyars' Hungary team of the 1950s was the best in the world. They lost just one match in six years - which, unfortunately, happened to be the World Cup final.

That's how good Ferenc Puskas was. He was 31 when he joined Real Madrid and still won five league titles, three European Cups and scored 242 goals.

He scored 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. Ridiculous really, isn't it?

10: Alfredo di Stefano (River Plate, Millionarios, Real Madrid, Espanyol & Argentina, Colombia & Spain)

World Cup wins: 0
European Cup/Champions League wins: 5
Ballons d'Or: 2
League titles: 13
International caps/goals: 41/29

Di Stefano won his fifth and final European Cup in 1960 - still only one player has more wins.

He scored in five finals in a row, and won them all.

And, yes, he played for three countries on the international scene. Beat that.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54543144

[Edoman]

Barcelona: Bartomeu Resigns As President, Entire Board Also Steps Down

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has resigned with the entire board also stepping down from their posts.

Bartomeu's decisions come after several months of criticism in the wake of Barcelona's 8-2 Champions League elimination to Bayern Munich as well as Lionel Messi's shocking request to leave the club shortly after.

Although the club was able to keep hold of Messi, with the longtime Barca star staying to avoid having to take the club to court, Bartomeu's position has been under scrutiny for weeks

https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/bartomeu-resigns-as-barcelona-president-amid/1qsdlc84cj70x1rod8tgzgmlus

[Edoman]

Cristiano Ronaldo tests positive for COVID-19 for the third time, ruling him out of Champions League clash with rival Lionel Messi








Juventus striker, Cristiano Ronaldo has been ruled out of Wednesday's Champions League match against Barcelona after testing positive for coronavirus for the third time. 
 
The Portuguese international, 35, has been self-isolating since he tested positive while on international duty with Portugal on October 13. He returned another positive result last week, and was made to take another test ahead of Juventus' clash against Barcelona on Wednesday
 
According to Sky Italy, Ronaldo failed to test negative 24 hours ahead of kick-off, as required by UEFA in order to play, meaning his potential reunion with Lionel Messi will not happen tomorrow. 
 
The arch-rivals, who both have 11 Ballon D'or titles between them (Ronaldo, 5, Messi, 6), have not faced each other in the Champions League since the semi-final between Real Madrid and Barcelona in the 2011-12 season.

[Edoman]

'If you don't win, people want to destroy everything' - Pep Guardiola responds to his critics after Man City win







Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has responded to his critics after his team's 3-0 win over Marseille on Tuesday night, October 27.
 
Guardiola has faced criticism as Manchester City has experienced a poor start to the 2020-21 season and are in 13th place in the Premier League after  two wins, two draws and a 5-2 defeat to Leicester City. 
 
But in the Champions League the club has secured two wins, a 3-1 win over Porto followed by Tuesday night's 3-0 victory at Marseille taking them to top of Group C. 
 
The Spanish coach says he understands why his side have been under fire as this is his worst ever start to a league season as a head coach.
.
"We have to accept the criticism," Guardiola told BT Sport. 


"We play every three days, when you win it's good but if you don't people want to destroy everything.


"But it's about the chairman and everyone else understanding. Part of the criticism was right, but you've got to accept it. It's part of our job.


"It's about where we've come from in the last month, with lack of preparation, injuries and Covid-19 but the Champions League is in a good place now. I'm sure we're going to find that consistency."


"We played really well, we didn't concede much and we were in control, patient and aggressive without the ball," Guardiola added. "I'm so satisfied with the performance and result, it's always difficult to win away.


"We can play on both sides, we tried to play high and wide to stretch the pitch. Raheem Sterling was exceptional, Phil [Foden] as well. We didn't expect them to play five at the back until we saw the team. Porto was the same. As much as we play against five at the back we started to take the control and rhythm.


"We were so stable defensively. Aymeric [Laporte] was good, Kyle [Walker] is in the best form since we've been together, Oleksandr [Zinchenko] helped us, John [Stones] played good minutes. I'm so satisfied with the way we played."
 

[Edoman]

Champions League: Man Utd goalkeeper asks club to terminate his contract


 
on
 October 28, 2020



Manchester United goalkeeper, Sergio Romero, has asked the club to terminate his contract, the Daily Star reports.


Romero has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer preferring David de Gea, Dean Henderson and Lee Grant as his first three choices.


The Argentine was regarded by many as the best No 2 stopper in the Premier League last season, but has been omitted from United’s Premier League and Champions League squads this term.

The 33-year-old saw a deadline day move to Everton collapse and is unhappy with the club.
Romero has now held talks with United over his future and wants to leave so he can secure game time elsewhere.

He is understood to be earning £100,000-a-week and is in the final season of his contract at the club.

[Edoman]

NFF confirms receipt of $1m from FIFA as COVID-19 Palliatives







President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick has confirmed the receipt of $1 million as COVID-19 palliatives from world football governing body, FIFA. 
 
According to Pinnick, the fund is composed of $500,000 for “men’s football and $500,000 for the women’s game,” while also revealing FIFA will send in another “$500,000 in January 2021” as part of the palliatives.
 
He also revealed that FIFA sent $600,000 for the FIFA Forward 2.0 projects in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State and Ugborodo in Delta State while stating that the body will be expecting $300,000 from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) before November 1st, 2020.
 

 
According to Pinnick, the NFF will work with an auditing firm to ensure the disbursements follow the best global practices.
“Huge appreciation to football’s world governing body, @FIFAcom, for the $1 million (one million dollars) the Federation has received in the frame of COVID-19 palliatives,” Pinnick began in a series of tweets on his handle on Wednesday, October 28..
 “The money was received by the @thenff and we re-confirmed the purpose from FIFA two days ago.”
“At $300,000 each, it will enable the mini-stadia in both centers to start at a very good pace, as we earmark completion by the end of March 2021,” the Federation leader added.
 “With the $200,000 we have already ring-fenced from our sponsors’ funds for the purpose, the coast will then be clear for us to start the disbursement of funds to the beneficiaries, as captured in our approved template, from next week.”
 

 
“Beneficiaries MUST ensure 100% compliance to guidelines by ensuring that all funds are paid into designated accounts,” the Delta-born Pinnick stated.
“I would also like to thank all beneficiaries for their patience and understanding at these trying times. Finally, I would like to wish @FIFAcom President, Gianni Infantino God’s speed as he recovers.”
 
See the tweets below:
 
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[Edoman]

Lekki shooting: Footballer John Ogu apologizes for asking Super Eagles players to boycott AFCON qualifiers







Nigeria international midfielder, John Ogu, has apologized for calling on his teammates in the Super Eagles to boycott their upcoming African Cup Of Nations games in solidarity with the #EndSARS protesters
 
Ogu made the call while reacting to the shooting of some of the unarmed protesters by security agents at the Lekki Tollgate on Tuesday night, October 20.
 

“What is the point in representing the country if this is what the politicians, the people we’re representing, can do to us? I feel like this is the best thing to do right now until they get back to their senses and listen to us. We want a good government, the police brutality to stop, we want the SARS to stop, we want the killings to stop, we want good laws, we want job opportunities. It’s just crazy.
I believe most of my colleagues understand where I am coming from, I wish we can do this. There are games coming up and if we boycott these games I’m sure they will know we’ve made a statement.
I haven’t really spoken to any of my team-mates about this. They feel for the people here, their loved ones, those that have died. I’m sure the players are aware.”he said

 
However, in a statement released tonight, Ogu apologized for his comments. According to him, he made them in the heat of the protest and shooting of the protesters. He said he knows that he must have crossed the line and is now apologizing. Read his statement below
 


b

[Edoman]

#EndSARS: No moron threatened me - John Ogu says after apologizing for asking Super Eagles to boycott AFCON







John Ogu has dismissed claims he was threatened into apologizing for asking Super Eagles players to boycott AFCON 2020 games in solidarity with the #EndSARS campaign
 
John in an interview with BBC had asked his teammates to pull out from AFCON as a way of lending their support to the call for an end to SARS and police brutality in Nigeria. He made the call shortly after the protesters were shot at the Lekki tollgate. Read here.
 
On Wednesday, October 28, John took to social media to apologize. According to him, he made the demand for his teammates to pull out from the football tournament during the heat of the competition, and that he later realized that he crossed the line.
 

 
Following his statement, his followers said that he must have been threatened to make the apology. The footballer took to LIB's Instagram page to dismiss the allegation that he was threatened into making the apology. See his comments below
 

[Edoman]

Osimhen Sees First Career Red Card In Napoli's Defeat Of Real Sociedad

The Nigeria international was sent off for the first time ever as the Parthenopeans picked up an away win against Imanol Alguacil’s men
Victor Osimhen was shown a red card in Napoli’s 1-0 triumph over Real Sociedad in Thursday’s Europa League clash.

The Nigeria international who joined the Italian Serie A outfit from Lille was shown the way out by referee Craig Pawson in the third minute of added time for a second caution.

After replacing Italian forward Andrea Petagna a minute after the hour mark, Osimhen was first cautioned in the 81st minute before he was given the marching orders 12 minutes later after elbowing Robin Le Normand while trying to control David Ospina’s goal kick.

That was the first time the 21-year-old striker was given sent off since he moved to Europe in 2017. He is expected to miss the Blues’ trip to Stadion Kantrida for a date with HNK Rijeka on November 5.

After a losing start against AZ Almaar, Gennaro Gattuso’s men returned to winning ways thanks to Matteo Politano’s 56th minute strike.

Thanks to that result, they are third in Group F with three points from two outings.

"It was not an easy success at all but we deserved it." Gattuso told club website after the game.

"Tonight, we played 50% of the qualifying chances in the group. I liked the team so much tactically, we faced a team that especially on its field is very strong and we managed to keep great intensity.

"We could probably have done better in terms of quality, but in general I am proud of my boys and this group because it always shows me attachment and character.

"Despite the many changes we played a race at a high pace, always with attention and balance. That means I have an important foundation to work on.

Bitter-sweet result for Celtic at Lille - Lennon
Article continues below
"I just know that if we go on like this, we have a lot of room to be able to achieve our goals and then, maybe, look even further."

Napoli will return to domestic league action when they welcome Sassuolo to Stadio San Paolo on Sunday.

They occupy the second spot in the log having accrued 11 points from five games - two points behind leaders AC Milan.

https://www.goal.com/en/news/osimhen-sees-first-career-red-in-napolis-defeat-of-real/naixa64e5nte1i8nvh3tp8gky

[Edoman]

Osimhen, Aribo, Akpeyi Return As Rohr Unveil 24-Man Eagles Squad For 2021 AFCON

Osimhen, Aribo, Akpeyi Return As Rohr Unveil 24-Man Eagles Squad For 2021 AFCON Qualifiers Vs Sierra Leone

Victor Osimhen, Daniel Akpeyi and Joe Aribo have returned to the Super Eagles following the announcement of the 24-man squad for next month’s 2021 AFCON qualifiers against Sierra Leone, Completesports.com reports.

The names of the invited players was published on the NFF’s verified Twitter handle on Thursday.

Also making a return to the Eagles are Oghenekaro Etebo and Club Brugge forward Emmanuel Dennis.


There is a first call-up for 26-year-old Switzerland-born goalkeeper Sebastian Osigwe who plays for FC Lugano in the Swiss top flight.



Osimhen missed the Eagles’ friendly games against Algeria and Tunisia in Austria due to coronavirus issues at Napoli.

The trio of Etebo, Aribo and Akpeyi were all absent against the north Africans due to injury.

CSKA Moscow winger Chidera Ejuke, Midtjylland’s Frank Onyeka and Kevin Akpoguma of Hoffenheim were part of the invited players.

However, Genk striker Cyriel Dessers, who made his Super Eagles debut against Tunisia, did not make the list.

Other players invited for the double-header against Sierra Leone are Maduka Okoye, William Troost-Ekong, Kenneth Omeruo, Leon Balogun, Semi Ajayi, Chidozie Awaziem, Zaidu Sanusi, Ola Aina and Jamilu Collins.

Also listed are Tyronne Ebuehi, Ahmed Musa, Moses Simon, Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Samuel Chukwueze.

Meanwhile, seven players have been put on standby. The players are Francis Uzoho, Samson Tijani, Kelechi Nwakali, Shehu Abdullahi, Paul Onuachu, Ramon Azeez and Ikechukwu Ezenwa.

Uzoho only recently returned to action after being out with injury and was in goal for Apoel Nicosia in the Cyprus Cup on Wednesday.

Super Eagles 24-man squad for AFCON qualifiers against Sierra Leone:

Goalkeepers

Daniel Akpeyi
Maduka Okoye
Sebastian Osigwe

Defenders

William Troost-Ekong
Kenneth Omeruo
Leon Balogun
Semi Ajayi
Chidozie Awaziem
Zaidu Sanusi
Ola Aina
Jamilu Collins
Kevin Akpoguma

Midfielders

Oghenekaro Etebo
Tyronne Ebuehi
Frank Onyeka
Joe Aribo

Forwards

Ahmed Musa
Moses Simon
Alex Iwobi
Emmanuel Dennis
Victor Osimhen
Kelechi Iheanacho
Samuel Chukwueze
Chidera Ejuke

Standby

Kelechi Nwakali
Francis Uzoho
Samson Tijani
Shehu Abdullahi
Paul Onuachu
Ramon Azeez
Ikechukwu Ezenwa

https://www.completesports.com/breaking-osigwe-osimhen-aribo-akpeyi-return-as-rohr-unveil-24-man-eagles-squad-for-2021-afcon-qualifiers-vs-sierra-leone/

[Edoman]

SPORT
Burnley vs Chelsea: Lampard gives injury update on Thiago, Kepa ahead of EPL match


 
on
 October 30, 2020


Chelsea boss, Frank Lampard, has provided the latest injury update on Thiago Silva and Kepa Arrizabalaga ahead of his side’s away Premier League clash with Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday evening.


Thiago and Kepa missed Chelsea’s Champions League 4-0 victory against Krasnodar in Russia on Wednesday night due to injury.


But Lampard is now saying that Thiago is fit to feature against Burnley, while Kepa is still recovering from a shoulder injury.

“Thiago is fit,” Lampard was quoted by Chelsea’s official website as saying at his pre-match press conference

“Taking him out of the trip to Russia was more of a maintenance issue for him, and I spoke to him about it.
“We are just trying to make sure we get the best out of him over the course of a season, and in this schedule where we have game after game after game, it made sense [for him not to be involved] in a game which involved a lot of travelling.


Lampard added: “Kepa is outside as I speak and has had some progression in his shoulder injury, so we are hopeful, but we will see with that one.


“In terms of the rest of the squad, we don’t have any clear injuries, but we do have a bit of a tired group.”

[Edoman]

Cristiano Ronaldo finally tests negative for Coronavirus







Juventus striker, Cristiano Ronaldo has finally tested negative for Coronavirus after three positive tests. 
 
Recall the Portuguese international, 35, first tested positive while on international duty with Portugal on October 13. He returned another positive result last week and was made to take another test earlier this week, which also returned positive. 
 
On Friday, the Serie A side announced that Ronaldo has now tested negative in a statement on their official website. 
 
"Cristiano Ronaldo carried out a check with a diagnostic test (swab) for Covid-19," the statement read.
 
"The exam provided a negative result. The player has, therefore, recovered after 19 days and is no longer subjected to home isolation."
 
Ronaldo, who missed the club's previous four matches including Wednesday's Champions League match against Barcelona will now be eligible to return for Sunday's clash against Spezia.
 

[Edoman]

Ziyech first since Costa to score in each of first two Chelsea starts
By Timothy Abraham
31 October 2020, 


Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech became the first player since Diego Costa in August 2014 to score on each of his first two starts for the club after he netted the opening goal against Burnley on Saturday.


The Morocco winger put Chelsea ahead midway through the first half of the Premier League fixture at Turf Moor when he wrong-footed goalkeeper Nick Pope with a low shot after being set up Tammy Abraham.


Ziyech had scored on his full Champions League debut on Wednesday with the third goal in Chelsea's 4-0 win over Russian side Krasnodar.



The 27-year-old signed a deal to join Chelsea from Ajax in February when he became Frank Lampard's first signing after the London club's transfer ban before linking up with his new team-mates later in the year.