Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has been handed an additional one-match ban and a £100,000 fine after admitting he acted in an improper manner following his red card at Newcastle.

The Netherlands international was dismissed for a foul on Alexander Isak in the first half of Liverpool’s 2-1 victory at St James’ Park on August 27, but initially refused to leave the pitch – and then remonstrated with referee John Brooks.

An automatic one-match ban saw the centre-back suspended for the 3-0 win over Aston Villa before the international break, but he will now also serve an additional suspension and so miss the trip to Wolves on September 16.

A statement from the FA read: “Virgil van Dijk has been suspended for one match and fined £100,000 for breaching FA Rule E3.1 during Liverpool’s Premier League fixture against Newcastle on Sunday August 27.

“The defender admitted that he acted in an improper manner and used abusive and insulting words towards a match official after being sent off in the 29th minute, and the sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent regulatory commission.”

[football365]

Al-Nassr striker, Cristiano Ronaldo has said his rivalry with Lionel Messi “is gone” having both already “changed the history of football.”

The two footballers have dominated for over a decade.

Between themselves, Ronaldo and Messi have won a combined 79 trophies and are the only two players to have scored over 800 goals each.

“I don’t see things like that, the rivalry is gone,” Ronaldo said.

“It was good, the spectators liked it.

“Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don’t have to hate Messi and vice versa. We’ve done well, we have changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, that’s the most important thing,” he added.

Ronaldo left European football for Saudi Arabia in January this year, after his contract at Manchester United was terminated.

Messi, who won the 2022 World Cup, joined Inter Miami CF in June as a free agent after two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain.

He became the most decorated football player when he won his 44th trophy after helping the MLS club lift the 2023 Leagues Cup in August.

[DailyPost]

Super Eagles forward, Victor Osimhen has become the first Nigerian male footballer in 24 years to get nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award as Super Falcons star, Asisat Oshoala also got nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or women’s player of the year award for the second successive year.

The Super Eagles star striker, who has scored 17 goals in 25 international appearances, becomes the first Nigerian to be nominated for the prestigious prize since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.

The Napoli forward also becomes the 7th Nigerian male footballer and 8th Nigerian player to earn a Ballon D’Or award nomination after Finidi George (1995), Austin Jay-Jay Okocha (1995), Daniel Amokachi (1995), Nwankwo Kanu (1996, 1999), Victor Ikpeba (1997), Sunday Oliseh (1998), and Asisat Oshoala(2022, 2023).

It was a historic day for Nigeria as Osimhen restored the glory of the Super Eagles since 1999 and Oshoala continued to stamp her feet as the best African player after she wrote her name in the history books by becoming the first female African player to get the Ballon d’Or nomination in 2022, finishing in the 16th position among the shortlisted 30 players.

Oshoala, who is the reigning Africa women’s player of the year, scored 21 goals in just 28 games to lead FC Barcelona to the 2022/23 Spanish league title and was the Spanish club’s top-scorer with 27 goals in all competitions.

The 28-year-old was instrumental as Barcelona retained their domestic title and won the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

At the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, 5-time record African Player of the Year award winner Oshoala made history as the first Nigerian and first female African player to score at three different editions of the FIFA World Cup. She has now scored 31 goals and won the Women’s African Cup of nations three times with the Super Falcons.

Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen makes the list of 30 star players nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or men’s award alongside Inter Miami forward, Lionel Messi and Man City forward Erling Haaland.

The Napoli striker scored 26 Serie A goals last season to guide the Partenopei to the Scudetto for the first time in more than three decades.

Nigerian forward, Victor Osimhen has been nominated alongside Inter Miami forward, Lionel Messi and Man City forward Erling Haaland for the 2023 Ballon d’Or men’s award.

Osimhen is currently one of the best players in Europe and he is in superb form, continuing his goalscoring form at Napoli where he has now scored 62 goals in 103 appearances.

The Nigerian striker scored 26 goals and added 4 assists in 32 league appearances to emerge as the highest goal scorer and lead Partenopei to their first Serie A title in 33 years.

The 24-year-old was the first African player to achieve the feat he is also currently the highest-scoring African in the Italian top flight after eclipsing the old record set by former Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o.

Osimhen will compete with favourite and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi and a plethora of other European superstars.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 30.

The winners of the Ballon d’Or 2023 will be announced on this day.

Super Falcons star striker, Asisat Oshoala has been nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or women’s player of the year award following her impressive season with FC Barcelona Femini in the Spanish League and the Super Falcons of Nigeria.

Oshoala, who is the reigning Africa women’s player of the year, scored 21 goals in just 28 games to lead FC Barcelona to the 2022/23 Spanish league title and was the Spanish club’s top-scorer with 27 goals in all competitions.

The 28-year-old was instrumental as Barcelona retained their domestic title and won the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

The two-time Champions league winner was also nominated for the award in 2022 as she became the first female African player to get the Ballon Dór nomination, finishing in the 16th position among the shortlisted 30 players.

At the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Oshoala made history as the first Nigerian and first female African player to score at three different editions of the FIFA World Cup.

The Super Falcons star scored in her debut World Cup in 2015 against Sweden; in 2019 against South Korea; and now in 2023 against Australia.

She scored the winning goal in the 3-2 win over co-hosts Australia in the group stage and led the Super Falcons of Nigeria to an impressive round of 16 finish.

Nigeria crashed out of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup after losing 4-2 on penalties to eventual finalists—the Lionesses of England in the Round of 16.

The nine-time African champions were unbeaten in the group stage finishing second behind co-hosts Australia, and qualified ahead of Olympic champions, Canada and debutants Republic of Ireland.

Oshoala was a key part of the impressive Falcons side as they avoided defeat in all three group-stage matches for the first time in history, with a win and two draws.

The Ikorodu born superstar and former Arsenal striker has also won the African Player of the Year award for a record five times—2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, and in 2022.

With two-time defending champion Alexia Putellas out of the running after a season hampered by injuries, a new winner will be crowned on October 30th.

Barcelona and Spain superstar Bonmati, who was instrumental to the Spanish women’s national team glory at the FIFA Women’s World Cup is the favourite to win the prize her teammate, Alexia Putellas won last year.

With a stellar performance at the tournament, playing in every game and winning the best player award, Bonmati is a strong contender to succeed Putellas.

Chelsea’s Sam Kerr is yet another likely winner having racked up 29 goals for Chelsea last season as they won a domestic double before featuring for the Matildas of Australia at the World Cup.

Lyon’s Ada Hegerberg won the maiden women’s Ballon d’Or back in 2018 while United States Women’s national team star Megan Rapinoe won the honours in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2020 ceremony to be cancelled. Oshoala’s teammate, Alexia Putellas emerged as the winner following its resumption in 2021 and retained her title in 2022.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 30.

The winners of the Ballon d’Or 2023 will be announced on this day.

The Ballon d’Or women’s award nominees are:

Khadija Shaw (Man City)
Mapi Leon (Barcelona)
Mary Earps (Man United)
Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona)
Wendie Renard (Lyon)
Katie Mccabe (Arsenal)
Jill Roord (Wolfsburg and Man City)
Yui Hasegawa (Man City)
Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg)
Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
Debinha (Kansas City)
Sam Kerr (Chelsea)
Guro Reiten (Chelsea)
Ewa Pajor (Wolfsburg)
Patricia Guijarro (Barcelona)
Daphne Van Domselaar (Twente and Aston Villa)
Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg)
Hinata Miyazawa (MyNavi Sendai and Man United)
Millie Bright(Chelsea)
Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona)
Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns)
Hayley Raso (Man City and Real Madrid)
Amanda Ilestedt (PSG and Arsenal)
Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich)
Olga Ramona (Real Madrid)
Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona)
Rachel Daly (Aston Villa)
Alba Redondo (Levante)
Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid)
Kadidiatou Diani (Lyon)

Nigerian forward, Victor Osimhen has been nominated alongside Inter Miami forward, Lionel Messi and Man City forward Erling Haaland for the 2023 Ballon d’Or men’s award.

The Super Eagles hotshot becomes the first Nigerian to be nominated for the prestigious prize since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.

The Napoli striker scored 26 Serie A goals last season to guide the Partenopei to the Scudetto for the first time in more than three decades.

Osimhen will compete with favourite and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi who was instrumental to Argentina’s World Cup glory in Qatar.

There is also Manchester City forward Erling Haaland who had a stellar debut seasons with City as they won the treble for the first time in the club’s history.

See full list for Ballon d’or 2023 men’s award

Josko Gvardiol
Jamal Musiala
Andre Onana
Karim Benzema
Mohamed Salah
Bukayo Saka
Kevin DeBruyne
Jude Bellingham
Randal Kolo Muani
Bernado Silva
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Nicolo Barella
Emiliano Martinez
Ruben Dias
Erling Haaland
Martin Odegaard
Ikay Guendogan
Yassine Bounou
Julian Alvarez
Vinicius Jr.
Lionel Messi
Rodri
Lautaro Martinez
Antoine Griezmann
Robert Lewandowski
Kylian Mbappe
Victor Osimhen
Kim Min-Jae
Luka Modric
Harry Kane

Former sporting director at Paris Saint-Germain, Leonardo, has admitted that Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé lacked support and recognition to create a winning environment during their time together in France.

The star-studded attacking trio won league titles at PSG the past two seasons, but failed to bring Champions League success to the club.

“People, they need to feel comfortable. These players need a state of good spirits, they need to feel support, they need to be recognised.

“And the ones who have do that are the club, us, and the coaches,” Leonardo told Brazilian publication Ge.

Mbappé is into the final year of his current contract at PSG, while Messi left the Ligue 1 champions this summer to join Inter Miami CF as a free agent. Neymar moved to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal in a €90million transfer.

[DailyPost]

Mohammed Bello Adoke, who turned 60 on September 1, 2023 served Nigeria as Attorney General and Minister of Justice, April 6, 2010- May 29, 2015. He holds the esteemed, silky rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR). He is one of the finest gentlemen that I know, a sound professional, brutally honest, intellectually gifted, a man whose first code of relationship is loyalty. I admire him for his intellect and forthrightness, but even more so for his stubborn loyalty to persons and causes.

There are persons that I have had cause to criticize in the recent past, in the line of work basically, but Adoke would insist he would never condemn any man in public who has ever been nice to him whatever the situation may be. And yet he has the most caustic tongue that anyone can ever think of. I have always warned him never to think of a career in journalism, lest someone breaks his bones literally, because when he takes on a subject that he is passionate about, he does not know how to measure his words. He is one of such persons who believe that their syntax must match the exact timbre of their feelings. When he is opposed to a subject, he wields an axe, when he is in support of a particular matter, he waxes lyrical.

Legal practice suits his temperament perfectly. Lawyers are basically technicians, wielding facts and evidence and relying on precedents and the law to build a case in favour of their clients, and lawyers are fine in that regard as long as they do not behave like characters in Charles Dickens’s The Great Expectations or The Bleak House where Dickens, 19th Century English satirist offers a most unflattering view of the law. The key thing about our common law jurisprudence is that the court-room restrains lawyers from speaking as it comes to them outside the rules of professional conduct. Adoke’s professionalism is not in doubt. Called to the Bar in 1986, after obtaining a degree in law from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria (1985), he holds a Postgraduate Diploma in International Tax Law from Robert Kennedy University, Zurich, Switzerland, a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration from Keble College, Oxford and an Advanced LLM in Public International Law (specializing in international criminal law) from the University of Leiden, Netherlands. He has practised law in diverse areas such as civil litigation, commercial disputes, arbitration, election petitions and oil and gas culminating in his attainment of the rank of an SAN, membership of the International Law Commission in Geneva and his appointment as Chief Law Officer of the Federation: a position that places him in a special class in the legal profession.

The other day, ahead of the celebration of his 60th birthday, he granted an interview which has now become very controversial, to a lady, Ms Adesua Giwa-Osagie, on a platform called “Untold Stories”. In the interview, one thing led to another and Adoke, reacting to allegations that he was charged for corruption by the Buhari administration told his interviewer that no he was not corrupt, but that Buhari ran “the most incompetent government we’ve ever seen in this country, ran by the most incompetent President that this country has ever had and will never have again…by a set of political morons.” This was that side of Adoke’s persona that I talked about in action. In a few words, he delivered the most devastating assessment of the Buhari administration so far since Buhari’s departure from office on May 29. To accuse a man of incompetence at his work is to declare that he is not worth it at all. To dismiss a whole Government as a government of morons is brutal. It was therefore not surprising that by Monday morning, quite a number of news platforms reported a sharp rebuttal to Adoke’s statement by Mallam Garba Shehu, former senior assistant spokesperson to President Buhari. One example would suffice.

This newspaper yesterday in its lead front page story quoted Garba Shehu as having claimed that President Buhari’s fight against corruption is unprecedented. He was said to have cited the Process and Industrial Developments (PID) matter, Paris Club, and the Ajaokuta Steel Company as cases that Buhari had to take on which were inherited from the Jonathan administration under which Adoke served. He reportedly said that Buhari was on “a rescue mission”. Adoke’s interview, ahead of his 60th birthday, was on a relatively modest platform. I have always warned that volubility is not an asset in the business of spokesmanship. He who speaks for another must know what to ignore, what to respond to, and what to manage. By responding to Adoke, Garba Shehu has taken what could have been overlooked as a side comment to the front pages, and drawn more attention to President Buhari’s legacy. He should have kept quiet. But he didn’t. And now he has ignited a conversation around the question: what exactly did President Buhari rescue?

It is true that in 2015, President Buhari had promised Nigerians that he would address the issues of insecurity, the economy and corruption. By the time he left office in May 2023, he had left the country in a far more insecure state than he met it. The economy was in the doldrums. Nigeria was in so much debt, even Buhari’s economists advised against the perils of further borrowings. Inflation had become unmanageable. The country’s unemployment rate was so high, the succeeding Tinubu administration has had to engage in the voodoo manipulation of statistics to reassure Nigerians that the unemployment index had dropped using a different methodology. But the same Tinubu, APC to APC government has not hidden the fact that the new managers inherited a badly managed economy.

Wale Edun, the current Minister of Finance and the Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy has said publicly that the last time the Nigerian economy was stable was about a decade ago, in other words before Buhari/APC assumed office at the centre. He added, to drive the matter home, that “we inherited a bad economy.” So, what happened to Buhari’s rescue mission. The standard excuse that has been given in his defence is that he was “not aware” of most of the things that happened under his watch. Tinubu, his successor, from the same party has been carrying on as if he is aware, and that is why he has been prying into some of the transactions under Buhari: the CBN, the foreign exchange, import waivers, management of palliatives, the anchor borrowers’ programme. His only saving grace would be that if Tinubu with his “over-sabi” fails to deliver on his reforms, then people could become kinder to him, but if Tinubu is able to make a difference, then Buhari’s legacy would be in tatters. The jury is still out. Buhari’s spin doctors are no longer in a position to dictate how he should be remembered. The old line about Buhari fighting corruption that was hatched under Jonathan is a worn, over-flogged tale that no longer sells in the light of present realizations.

As a person. Muhammed Bello Adoke has used the occasion of his 60th birthday to defend himself in the public domain. Before his recent interview, he had written a book titled “Burden of Service: Reminiscences of Nigeria’s former Attorney General” (London/New York: Clink Street, 2019, 270 pp.) in which he provides a detailed reflection on his trials and triumphs as Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice: the mischief of those who witch-hunted him, specifically the OPL 245 Controversy and the Ajaokuta Steel Settlement. Adoke’s main argument is that he acted in the utmost best interest of Nigeria in all that he did and strictly within the purview of the rule of law. The frustration that he expresses in the book about the intrigues in the corridors of power is enough to discourage anyone from agreeing to serve the Nigerian government. Depending on the circumstances, you could go in as an innocent person interested in service, only to come out with a heavy Sisyphean burden on your shoulders. In 2016, the Buahri administration charged Adoke to court along with others over OPL 245. He was hounded from pillar to post, even as far as the Netherlands. He was eventually arrested in Dubai after spending about six years in exile. Adoke is in the best position to tell his own story, and he probably would do so in another book. What is certain is that a court in Milan, Italy discharged and acquitted him of any wrong-doing in the OPL 245 debacle. The Commercial Court in the UK ruled that he had nothing to do with the P&ID debacle which seems to have gone cold most conveniently. The former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN advised the government in a written opinion that the Federal Government had no case against. Adoke. Mr Ibrahim Magu, former EFCC Chairman, by Adoke’s own account, also found cause to apologise to him. This is probably the root of his deployment of strong adjectives to dismiss a leader that was once a “constituted authority” in this country as the most incompetent in Nigerian history. Politics is a function of time and chance, hall of mirrors, a revolving door.

Adoke was not originally my friend. We quarrelled before we became friends. When I assumed duties at the Presidential Villa in 2011, one of the first pieces of advice I got was from Akachikwu Nwankpo, then Special Adviser on Technical Matters to the President and later Gubernatorial candidate in the 2022 Anambra elections. Nwankwo had drawn my attention very early to what he called the existence of a “A Gap Theory” in the Villa, in the sense that the place was a jungle and the only way to survive was to defend your territory with every ounce of energy within you. I thought he was joking. But he was dead serious. “You see this place my brother, you have to watch your territory, even when you are doing your best people are perpetually looking for how they can do your job for you.” I felt that was odd. People had specific titles and job descriptions.

But as it turned out, I discovered on my own that my assignment as Presidential Spokesperson was something everyone had their eyes on. I usually briefed the President every morning at the breakfast table. In a short while some people started dragging it with me. They would plant themselves at the table and before I started the briefing, one of them would have launched an unsolicited media commentary: “Daddy, on AIT yesterday…” Oga, I heard that so, so and so editor.” Ha. Would these people allow me to do this job? Many of the interlopers used to go directly to the President to introduce editors and other media players, claiming to know the media better than everyone else. Some had the effrontery of directing me to issue press statements. I was caught in the web once or twice, but when I saw the President didn’t like me producing press statements that he did not personally authorize, I became fiercely territorial. Only the President could tell me what to do.

I had a different kind of baptism in January 2012. That was during the “Occupy Nigeria” protests following the Jonathan administration’s decision to deregulate the downstream sector, which resulted in the pump price of petrol going up from N65 per litre to N141 per litre. Mayhem descended on Nigeria. There were riots in Ojota, Abuja and other parts of the country. For more than a week, organised labour and civil society fought the Nigerian government. They wanted the removal of subsidy reversed and they were determined, not the kind of “testing, testing” protest that Labour leaders of today are organizing on the same issue. There was unease in the Villa as there was in the country. There were casualties. It was felt that the President needed to address the nation. I wrote a draft in which I tried to appeal to the people and calm the nerves. Then came along Adoke with a militant draft speech in which the President was meant to sound stern and warn the dissidents and their sponsors who were disturbing the peace of the nation. The version that Adoke brought was pugilistic and fierce. The President told me to go and look at it and get back to him. I came back with a modified draft, only for the President to opt for the militant piece. It was his statement, not mine. But I was bitter. I complained to Dr. Fortune Fiberesima, the President’s physician who said he too was facing the same challenge – all kinds of people trying to do his work, even when they had no knowledge of medicine. One Minister, who always boasted that his wife was a medical doctor, in fact relished offering the President medical advice. Fiberesima used to fume.

I decided to talk to Mohammed Adoke. I told him he should not do my job. He should focus on his AGF work. He was nice. He said he was interested in the purity of the law, not other people’s assignments and indeed, with the law, he is one of the finest that Nigeria has had as AGF and Minister of Justice. The story of our friendship since then till date is another story to be told some other day. For now, please join me to wish him a happy 60th birthday. Congratulations, AGF Emeritus.

Former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, has admitted how terrible he feels being away from football, Saturday PUNCH reports.

Siasia was banned from all football activities for life in August 2019 by the world football body FIFA and fined $50,000 for agreeing to ‘the manipulation of matches’ for betting purposes.

According to FIFA, Siasia’s ban emanated from an extensive investigation into matches that Wilson Perumal attempted to fix.

But in 2021, after an appeal, his ban was reduced to five years by the Court of Arbitration for Sports which lapsed in August 2024 and the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winner can’t wait to return to football.

“I thought I was going to be free by this year (2023) and I was so excited,” Siasia said in a radio interview on Kennis 104.1FM monitored by our correspondent.

“But I had to look through the document that FIFA served me, and I found out that it was going to be next year.

“By next year, in August 2024, I will be free from the FIFA ban, and hopefully I will be back to football.

“Irrespective of what happened, I have learned my lessons, but FIFA, who initially gave me a life ban in football, could not prove anything wrong with what they claimed I did. But they had to reduce it to a five-year ban, and it will expire next year. I thank God for that.

“It has been terrible to be away from football for five years, but I am preparing myself to come back to football, so I have to prepare myself so I can start ‘running’ once I resume by next year.”

Siasia also recounted the ordeal his men’s U-23 team went through prior to the Rio 2016 Olympics.

The Nigerian team overcame several challenges to arrive Rio on matchday before defeating Japan 4-3 in their opening group game.

He said, “We were abandoned ahead of our opener (against Japan), but we came into Rio on the same day, played Japan the same day, and won our opener the same day by 4-3.

“The Japanese billionaire, Dr. Katsuya Takasu was so amazed and wanted to see the coach of the team and handed me a cheque for $200,000″. “He also appreciated the team as a whole.”

Siasia also urged the country’s sports administrators to celebrate medal winners at major tournaments.

“My bronze medal is still in my house in the United States of America, but it’s so sad that Nigeria does not appreciate those who win laurels at the Olympics,” he continued.

“It must not be gold always, but once an athlete win either silver or bronze, they ought to be appreciated.

“Our bronze at the Rio Olympics was the only medal Nigeria won at that Olympics, but it was not celebrated.

“We were not received at the airport and no one appreciated us or talked about it. It’s shameful and not fair.

“Wwe have to first celebrate the medals won before looking forward to winning another, so that the younger ones who see athletes being appreciated will look forward to winning for Nigeria, and that is how it should be,” Siasia said.

[Punch]

Siasia is the only Nigerian coach to have won two Olympic medals with the U-23 team at two different Olympics.

The 56-year-old won the silver with the dream team at Beijing 2008 and also won the bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

City FM is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Programme: CITY TALKS WITH REUBEN ABATI

Time: 12:00pm

Guest: Amb. Olusegun Akinsanya. (MNI)
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Topic: Niger-Gabon and the future of democracy in Africa

Date: 2nd September, 2023
                         
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