The immediate past Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan has revealed that her greatest challenge while in service was the resistance of civil servants to reforms.

The former HoS spoke at a dinner in her honour by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation which took place in Abuja.

She explained that civil servants showed serious resistance to new reforms introduced during her tenure, particularly the resistance to change old ways of doing things.

Her words: “Convincing them to accept better way of doing things was a mountainous challenge. You know the initial reaction to anything new is resistance. To convince civil servants to accept our reforms was a big challenge.

She also highlighted how collaboration was instrumental in facilitating digitalization efforts within the civil service, and called for understanding with civil servants and greater collaboration between the public and private sectors to enhance civil service reforms.

“First of all, before we talk about legacies, I just want to acknowledge and thank God for the success. It is not what any human being could have done, so I acknowledge the help of God. The partnerships especially with the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, helped a great deal. They provided both personnel expertise and funding.

“But we were able to convince them by communication. We had communication with different stakeholders to ensure that they bought into the vision and what we were trying to do.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, praised the former HoS for her commitment and leadership.

He also conveyed a message from former President Olusegun Obasanjo who praised Yemi-Esan for her dedication and efficient management during her tenure.

[DailyTrust]

Anthony Gordon’s second-half penalty earned Newcastle a point as Manchester City were held to a draw at St James’ Park.

City defender Josko Gvardiol had put the visitors ahead after 35 minutes when he finished smartly from Jack Grealish’s lay-off.

However, while Mateo Kovacic and Rico Lewis combined well in covering for the influential Rodri, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, City eventually buckled during Newcastle’s best spell of the game just after the break.

When Bruno Guimaraes played an excellent pass through the City defence, Kyle Walker played Gordon onside and the England forward went down under Ederson’s challenge. Ederson was booked and Gordon kept his cool to send the Brazilian the wrong way from the spot.

Pep Guardiola’s side should have been further ahead at the break but Ilkay Gundogan fluffed his attempted chip after Newcastle keeper Nick Pope had presented a clearance straight to City when he was a long way out of his goal.

Both sides tried to force a winner, with Newcastle substitute Sean Longstaff going close for the hosts and Bernardo Silva testing Nick Pope deep in stoppage time.

The Magpies remain with only one win in 34 top-flight meetings with City, who have have now dropped four points in the space of a week after their 100% start to the campaign.

BBC

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has stated that he is proud to have made an Ijaw man the governor of Rivers State.

Speaking on Saturday at an event organised by the Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress in his honour in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Wike said God used him to make Siminalayi Fubara the governor of the South-South state.

Wike also used the occasion to refute claims on social media that the Ijaw people in the state are fighting him.

He said, “Let me thank this team for this strategic meeting here today. First of all, when I was approached by Senator Johnson Nsakebor. He was sent by the Rivers Ijaw Congress that they want to honour me. I asked what the essence of such was. Why do you want to waste such money? I need the money. Give it to me. But he said so many people go on television and speak as if they were speaking on behalf of the Ijaw people. I said okay, I will come and let Nigerians know.

“This gathering here today is a message to those of them in Abuja who don’t understand. So if anybody tells you one day that the Ijaw people are fighting me. It is not correct. We have some ungrateful people everywhere. A father can have twelve children, and one can be an armed robber. Does that mean that the whole family are armed robbers?

“So, all these people going to television to say Ijaw people are fighting me. Ask them; all the Ijaw people in the House of Assembly were positioned.”

The former River governor asserted that nobody has the monopoly of causing violence, stressing that he and his camp have chosen to play according to the rule of law.

He added, “Who has Fubara made? All the things you see are people who are envious of our growth. They couldn’t do what we are doing today. These are people who we have defeated politically several times. If the opportunity comes again, we will defeat them again.

“I have made an Ijaw man governor of Rivers State. God used us. All of us here had sleepless nights. So who loves Ijaw more? Is it people who come out on television who can not even make their Ijaw brother governor? If they had been that powerful since the old Rivers State, would Ijaw have ever become governor? Where are they?

“I have told people that nobody has a monopoly on causing violence. The mere fact that we choose to play according to the rule of law. To be calm and not to turn ourselves into where investors would run away, and that is what we will continue to do.”

[Punch]

Between October 11 and 15, 2024, Nigeria’s Super Eagles will take on the Mediterranean Knights of Libya in two legs of the qualifying matches for the 2025 AFCON. The matches will present an opportunity for the country to continue to build a new Super Eagles from the ashes of recent disasters with foreign coaches, as the country continues to search for a suitable permanent coach.

Meanwhile, Head of the Technical Department of the Nigeria Football Federation, Augustine Eguavoen, continues to hold forth in that position without commanding enough national confidence to make him the permanent coach of the team. It is imperative, therefore, that a decision on next manager for the team be addressed as quickly as possible. Testier times and more difficult matches lie ahead. The psychology of the country and the team needs reinforcement following unconvincing performances and results.

I have a simple ‘interim’ suggestion. The NFF should look in the direction of Samson Siasia again for reinforcement of the present equilibrium.

Why Samson Siasia?

Between 1993 and 1995 I played a role in the Nigeria Football Association as Head of the Technical Committee, and Team Manager (later changed to Welfare Officer) of the Super Eagles. I was an integral part of the national team when Clemens Westerhof was Technical Adviser (Manager).

I was in the heart of the team through the qualification and participation of Nigeria in the World Cup and in winning the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia in the same year, 1994.

It was not a big deal, but I lived with the team in their various camps, shared my ideas quietly with Clemens Westerhof and the NFA led by Air-Commodore Emeka Omeruah, and was directly in charge of the welfare of the players.

In short, I had more than a passing knowledge of all the players beyond their playing the game and doing so very well. It was part of my being and private work to look beyond the surface of things and what roles the players could play after their football careers.

I was particularly interested in those that could become coaches good enough to succeed Clemens Westerhof and ensure that Westerhof became the last foreign coach to handle the Super Eagles. A few of the players were approaching the end of their illustrious playing careers and were loaded with unique experiences that would serve them in good stead and elevate them above the ex-international players of the previous eras in the hierarchy of those deserving to become national coaches.

The Super Eagles were one of the best teams in the world and Nigeria’s most priced international image-maker to the extent that when USA President Bill Clinton visited the country after USA ’94 his first comment to airport correspondents at the Murtala Muhammed Airport was about Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Rashidi Yekini.

The Super Eagles were so revered that they featured on the cover of a special edition of Time magazine on the eve of the 1994 World Cup. The team was that big, and I am proud to claim a little but significant credit for the role I played as Team Manager in charge of players’ welfare between 1993 and 1995.

That experience provided me with a very unique insight into the individual players, enabling me to make academic deductions about their strengths and weaknesses.

The more I studied them the more I realized how important they all would be for the future of Nigerian football, particularly in the area of producing technical leadership and guidance for the national teams, and end the dependence on foreign coaches in Nigerian football. Nigeria had to produce qualified Nigerians drawn from the Class of 1994 with experiences at the broadest and highest levels. These would handle the various Nigerian national teams and take the country to the very top of global football.

The ‘revolution’ began with, Stephen Keshi, the ‘Big Boss’ , who, in 1995, was at the tail end of his playing career.

Clemens Westerhof was aware of Keshi’s outstanding qualities and always told anyone willing to listen. He believed Stephen Keshi was born to lead the Super Eagles as coach one day.

The great player went on to get his coaching licenses, became a coach, eventually became coach of the national team and, despite some ‘jaundiced’ opposition by some administrators and a small section of the media, Keshi fulfilled all expectations and achieved results with the Super Eagles that matched or surpassed the best by any foreign coach before and after him, till now.

Incidentally, Keshi was not alone in that group of players that had the qualities to handle the national teams and to halt the unprofitable practice of regular recourse to unknown and expensive foreign coaches that slowed down Nigeria’s progress in football on the field of play.

The players of the Class of 1994 had all the experiences – as players from the domestic leagues in Nigeria, to high profile teams and leagues in Europe, to winning the African Cup of Nations and qualifying for the World Cup for the first time.

I made these purely academic observations based on my own limited experiences as a player too under local and foreign coaches.

Clemens shared similar views about the players that could become successful national team coaches in the 1994 team with Onochie Anibeze of Vanguard newspaper.

Sunday Oliseh, Emmanuel Amuneke and Finidi Gèorge did not make his cut because they were relatively younger and reserved in camp, not showing enough of their true characteristics for anyone to have seen their potential as future coaches.

The first and most obvious was Stephen Keshi. His leadership characteristics transcended playing. He was a sure-bet to be a national coach. There was no disputing or halting his rise to the top.

Another player in that group that struck me (and my opinion was supported later by Onochie Anibeze and Clemens Westerhof) was Samson Siasia.

Samson was a silent operator, a player behind the scenes of major events, one who knew what he wanted and would always express it without being the centre of attraction and considered a rebel. He was influential in the team without being unduly loud. He was clever and very intelligent. I saw through all of that exterior, recognised his great potential as national coach, and wrote my views publicly.

Time and providence proved me right. Samson Siasia went into coaching and did not look back. He rose through the ranks from Club football to national Under-20 and Under-23 teams. His teams played in the finals of both global FIFA championships. He was ranked amongst the best young coaches in the world by FIFA after the performance of the Under-23 team at the Olympics finals against Argentina. He was drafted to work first as assistant to Augustine Eguavoen and finally on his own as Super Eagles coach for a short spell.

It is rather unfortunate that he suffered the ‘injustice’ of a suspension by FIFA for an offense it was claimed he was going to commit but never did. What is indisputable is that he is the most qualified, experienced and successful indigenous coach in Nigeria’s history.

Now, he has fully served his suspension in the past few months. What has he been up to since then?

I asked and learnt that rather than lament the ‘wasted’ 5 years of his life, or jumping into the fray of looking for a coaching job, he has moved to Europe to refresh his knowledge and coaching skills in preparation for coaching at the highest levels again.

Nigeria is still looking for a Nigerian that can lead the national team and save the country from the menace of expensive foreign coaches. However that search ends,

Samson Siasia should be drafted as a tag-team partner of Augustine Eguavoen in the present arrangement, to reinforce the team’s technical and psychological depth with his rich skills in preparation to be a part of any new Super Eagles arrangement at the top.

If you are building in Lagos, to have a smooth construction process without any legal issues depends on having the necessary documents.

If you are building in Lagos, the building projects must be carefully planned, and you must ensure you comply with all applicable laws to have a smooth project without problems.

However, to have a smooth construction process without any legal issues depends on proper documentation for everything starting from establishing land ownership to obtaining various licenses and approvals.

Here are ten essential documents that you will need while starting a building project in Lagos 

Survey Plan

A survey plan is necessary for building projects in Lagos to guarantee that the dimensions and borders of a plot of land adhere to the laws.

Get a qualified surveyor who would create a survey plan showing the landscape, borders, and existing structures of the site. The Survey Plan is often required when applying for a building permit.

Architectural Drawings (sealed, signed, and stamped by an ARCON-registered architect)

Another crucial document needed for construction in Lagos is an architectural drawing that is sealed, signed, and stamped by an architect registered with the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), which offers comprehensive plans and specifications of the proposed structure, including layout, measurements, and architectural elements.

These designs show that the building codes and regulations in Lagos are being followed, which is essential for getting building permits. It also acts as a construction blueprint, steering the project from start to finish and reducing expensive errors.

Tax Clearance Certificate

A Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC), certifies that all taxes have been paid or are in good standing. This shows that a person or entity has complied with their tax responsibilities to the government.

It is essential to the building process in Lagos because, without a valid Tax Clearance Certificate, builders may find it difficult to apply for permits and approvals.

Land Use Charge Receipt

This is an essential document in Lagos that indicates if a particular area or land is designated for residential, commercial, or industrial uses.

The receipt of the Land Use Charge is required before one can get a building permit and approvals. Building without the receipt will attract fines or project delays.

Proof of Ownership

To demonstrate that the applicant is the rightful owner of the land or property on which the building is planned, Proof of Ownership is an essential document. A Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), a Deed of Assignment, or any other legal documents confirming the ownership rights are usually included.

To receive building licenses and clearances from the Lagos state government, one must possess a legitimate Proof of Ownership. Having this document avoids property rights conflicts by ensuring the government that the construction is occurring on legitimately owned land. In the absence of proper paperwork, builders can get a demolition order.

Structural Drawings

Structural drawings give critical information regarding the dimensions, materials, and construction procedures to be employed, ensuring that the building is safe, stable, and following Lagos building rules. They often comprise specifications for foundations, beams, columns, load-bearing walls, and other components.

Structural Stability Letter

A structural Stability Letter is provided by a certified structural engineer following extensive examinations

and studies of the building’s design, materials, and intended use is needed to confirm that Lagos building laws and standards are followed, with a focus on load distribution, foundation integrity, and material strength.

The Structural Stability Letter assures both regulatory authorities and the property owner that the building will be structurally sound and safe to occupy.

Structural Engineer’s Supervision Letter

The Structural Engineer’s Supervision Letter is a document that gives property owners peace of mind regarding the safety of the project and reassures regulatory authorities that a qualified professional will oversee the work.

Subsoil Investigation Report

The Subsoil Investigation Report, which is produced by certified geotechnical engineers, contains data on groundwater levels, soil types, and bearing capacities that are frequently acquired by laboratory testing and drilling.

This report is needed to direct the foundation design and construction approach by detecting potential concerns such as soil instability and groundwater issues.

Electrical Drawings

Electrical drawings are essential records that offer thorough layouts for a building’s electrical systems. To guarantee adherence to safety laws and standards, these drawings incorporate layouts for wiring, circuit configurations, lighting, and power distribution.

Mechanical Drawings

Mechanical drawings are the critical papers in construction projects that detail the mechanical systems of a building, such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, and other mechanical installations. These drawings provide specifications for equipment layout, pipe systems, and airflow designs, ensuring that all mechanical aspects work properly and safely.

Getting all of these documents sets one free from problems associated with building projects in Lagos State and also assures the builder that the building is of quality standard.

Vanguard News

The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has criticised the Nigerian government for embracing Coca-Cola’s $1 billion investment pledge, citing the company’s alleged history of broken promises and harm to public health.

CAPPA in a statement signed by its Media and Communication Officer, Robert Egbe, accused Coca-Cola of attempting to “whitewash” its image despite multiple dishonest trade practices and regulatory infractions.

This is in reaction to Coca-Cola’s recent visit to President Bola Tinubu, during which the corporation announced a $1 billion investment pledge to Nigeria over five years.

“The Coca-Cola System has been part of Nigerian communities for over 70 years and believes in the strength and continued potential of the market. We are excited to announce this investment, which demonstrates our dedication to fostering economic growth and creating job opportunities in the country,” Zoran Bogdanovic, the chief executive officer of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, told Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu.

“Our investment goes beyond business growth; it’s about contributing to the well-being of the communities we call home. We foresee significant social and economic advancements, which is why we continue to invest in our business operations and community programs in Nigeria,” he added.

However, according to CAPPA, Coca-Cola’s latest pledge is a recycled commitment made three years ago during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, which the company failed to deliver.

The presidency had, however, clarified in a statement last week that the corporation halted the previous investment due to the “challenging business environment” prevailing in the country then. 

But CAPPA criticised the government for defending Coca-Cola despite its alleged “persistent onslaught against public health and regulatory infractions than anything else.”

The group accused the beverage manufacturer of regulatory infractions, negative impact on public health, and recent investigations by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

In 2017, a Lagos High Court issued a judgement against the company, revealing that its products were unfit for consumption as they contain high levels of sunset yellow and benzoic acid.

High levels of sunset yellow and benzoic acid, according to European and American food and drug agencies, can form the carcinogen benzene when combined with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C).

“On this ground, the court mandated the company to place warning labels on its beverages, advising consumers against combining their intake with Vitamin C. But to this day, the corporation has refused to comply with this directive.

“This contempt and disregard for public health and judicial authority should ordinarily disqualify the company from receiving any form of state endorsement, let alone at the highest level of government,” the CAPPA statement read.

Recently, the FCCPC found Coca-Cola guilty of deceptive trade practices. The Commission’s investigation which began in 2019, revealed that the company had consistently engaged in deceptive product packaging and inconsistent pricing strategies that misled consumers.

“Sadly, by endorsing Coca-Cola’s shady investment only months after the FCCPC indicted it, the Nigerian government is not only setting itself up as an image launderer for a dirty corporation but also unbelievably, undermining and embarrassing its own regulatory authority,’’ the CAPPA statement said.

Public health concerns

The statement also quoted CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, as emphasising that Coca-Cola’s products contribute to Nigeria’s public health crisis, particularly non-communicable diseases like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

The statement further reads in part: “The question the Nigerian government must ask itself in light of all this is what truly it stands to gain by endorsing a multinational corporation with a dark history of non-compliance, and whose products are even actively contributing to a public health crisis in the country?

“Sugar-sweetened beverages, like many of Coca-Cola’s products under such category, are well known and documented contributors to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease and other associated health conditions that are already straining Nigeria’s healthcare system and economy.

“As such, while the company’s promises of an economic investment may sound appealing, the potential gains pale in comparison to the long-term public health costs and injury that the consumption of its products inflicts on the Nigerian population as with elsewhere across the world’’.

The organisation further warned that the government’s cozy relationship with Coca-Cola could jeopardise the implementation of Nigeria’s sugar-sweetened beverages tax, aimed at reducing consumption and tackling rising NCDs.

“We, therefore, call on the Nigerian government to prioritise the interests of Nigerians by shunning questionable associations with corporate lawbreakers and adversaries of public health. We urge the state to defend public health without scruples and consider genuine ethical investments that rank the well-being of Nigerians over empty promises and profit-driven deception,” it added.

[Premium Times]

Fred Amata, the ace actor, has called out Agatha, his ex-wife, for walking Stephanie, their daughter, down the aisle while he is still alive.

The couple got divorced in 2005 due to irreconcilable differences.

On Wednesday, Agatha shared pictures of Stephanie’s wedding and a video of her walking her daughter down the aisle — a ritual usually carried out by the bride’s father.

Fred was also noticeably absent at the ceremony.

Reacting in a lengthy rant on Facebook, the actor described Agatha’s action as an “abomination”, adding that it was a “challenge to tradition”.

He questioned why the wedding date and time were hidden from him, despite his prior blessing.

Fred also spoke about his failed marriage and recounted his contributions to Agatha’s success, specifically creating the talk show ‘Inside-Out with Agatha,’ which he claimed made her a household name.

The actor also alleged that Agatha exploited his name, reputation, and intellectual property for personal gain.

Read the full post below:

For over 20 years I kept silent, and desisted from any comments on my failed marriage, allowing the ‘good wife’, hoping the wounds will heal and a reconciliation possible. But for 20 years the ‘good wife’ pounded me, rubbished my reputation, belittling my achievements, exploiting my name for her selfish benefits.

It was over 25 years ago that I came up with the unique idea of Inside-Out with Agatha, a talk show with six informed and opposing points of view represented by a person with oratorial skills, now male now female. We had gone to see a talk show by Regina Askia, and Agatha wanted to be a talk show host. I told her not to worry ‘I will come up with something, it will make you be like Oprah Winfrey’.

And I did. Ingeniously. I was the dedicated creator, throwing in flesh blood and sweat to create and deliver a concept that had never before been done in Nigeria, save for a similar perhaps less engaging 6 episodes of a program called MEE to you, or something like that, by the late May Ellen Ezekiel, who was married to RMD. A program that could stand the test of time and put bread on the table of the young marriage.

A program, so versatile, it is still relevant today. Inside-Out with Agatha was an instant hit, the genius of the angle the production values the directorial approach the lighting and production design were so engaging, it was irresistible. I was at the height of my directorial rendezvous, and I gathered a production crew of the best technical hands in what is now early Nollywood and TV soaps were the biggest things because we dared to stand out from the emerging crowd of Nollywood directors.

Kingsley Ogoro my friend brother and nemesis would lead a high. I co-opted Nollywood greats Zack Orji, Okey Bakassi, Sunny Mcdon, Francis Onwochei, Emeka Ossai, Zik Zulu Okafor, Francis Duru, Prince Jide Kosoko and numerous friends who looked up to me and I asked their support for the first episodes, and soon everybody who was anybody wanted to be part of Inside Out.

I staked every resource, friends, favours, loyalties, family, extended family wife and links, I involved the creme de la creme of the big production, studios. Tunde Kelani, Wale Fanu, Tade Ogidan, Tunde Oloyede, Pat Nebo, Uzor Okpeche, Simi Opeoluwa, Opa Williams, the late Chico Ejiro and numerous others to ensure no failure of the program. I staked even my first attempt to be president of DGN. Don Pedro Obaseki and Matthias Obahiagbon will attest.

With the influence it wielded and the contacts and connections it gathered, ‘The Good Wife’ soon built an empire with no emperor. She employed maligning my name to acquire favours and contracts. Inside Out is the source of all the Good Wife’s wealth. My genius, my sweat, my vision, and for 20 years, I swallowed it. My reputation diminished as the Good Wife’s gathered momentum. So today, the Good Wife, using my brainchild, has become a billionaire—no credit to me.

No compensation, no royalty. But the good wife is good; let raising the children be my royalty. Buoyed by her success without recourse to the creator, the Ebu Delta State-born Good Wife has gathered a litany of resentment. She has registered a new company to own the programme, discarding the company we set up. She has sued for and obtained a divorce, and 20 years on, she still carries bitterness and will go to extremes to tarnish my image.

But understand this, ‘good wife’ Agatha: everything you have ever owned and will ever own is because of ‘Inside Out’. It is my brainchild, my intellectual property. You have yet to put a nail to a coffin to bury me for being silent, taking no heed of the billions you have harvested, carefree of your stupendous assets. The ‘good wife’ will dare tradition.

Challenge abomination, embrace taboo, stare Africa in the eyes to manipulate my daughter and her husband, hoodwink the lovebirds, and walk my daughter down the aisle to give Stephanie away to a husband. I can’t keep quiet anymore. It’s time to speak up. This is an abomination. This is taboo. Nowhere in the world, nowhere in Africa, nowhere in Delta State and the lands where we come from can a woman give away her child in marriage especially where the father is alive.

Especially when the father is willing and able. Worse when the father is in the same city. What malice would drive a woman in an attempt to rubbish her ex to lead his daughter to marriage? What manipulation would warrant concealing the date and time from a father who has already given his blessing? Even if the daughter forgets when father and daughter are in the same city of London. Is it not the place of ‘The Good Wife’?

Good people, netizens, well-wishers, haters, and influencers. What options are left to this heartbroken father? How do you throw away the baby with the bathwater? Do you cast away the ones you will forever love because a ‘good wife’ has been blinded by wealth and fury to jeopardise the father’s blessings on his daughter? They came to me in London; Aaron brought drinks as kola to me, the father, as the pictures show. What kind of ‘good wife’ does a thing like this simply to make a man look bad?

As of the time of this report, Agatha has not responded to her ex-husband’s allegations.

[TheCable]

Saturday’s Premier League fixtures promise an exciting day of action, starting with an anticipated clash between Newcastle United and Manchester City at 12:30pm (Nigerian Time).

City, fresh from a series of dominant performances, are the favourites, but Newcastle will be looking to cause an upset at home.

The 15:00 fixtures feature several interesting matchups. Arsenal will face Leicester City at the Emirates, where the Gunners are heavily favoured. Arsenal, looking to continue their strong start to the season, face a Leicester side eager to climb the table.

Meanwhile, Brentford host West Ham United in what should be a closely contested London derby, with Brentford tipped as the favourites.

Everton will take on Crystal Palace at Goodison Park, with Palace viewed as slight favourites. Nottingham Forest face Fulham, with the Cottagers favoured to take the points in this encounter.

The day’s Premier League action will conclude at 17:30 when Wolves host Liverpool. Liverpool, the favorites, will aim to continue their title challenge with a victory at Molineux.

La Liga: Barcelona travel to Osasuna

In Spain, La Liga sees Barcelona as the favourites when they travel to face Osasuna in Saturday’s final match at 20:00.

Earlier in the day, at 13:00, Getafe will host Deportivo Alaves, while Rayo Vallecano are set to take on Leganes at 15:15, both sides seen as favourites in their respective fixtures.

The evening’s action also includes a 17:30 battle between Real Sociedad and Valencia, with Sociedad looking to secure a home victory.

Bundesliga: Top teams face off

The Bundesliga also offers plenty of excitement this Saturday.

Borussia Mönchengladbach will host Union Berlin at 14:30, with Gladbach marked as the favourites. At the same time, Freiburg will face St. Pauli, and Mainz 05 go up against Heidenheim, both matches expected to go in favour of the home sides.

At 17:30, the headline fixture of the day will see Bayern Munich taking on Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern are the seemingly favourites in this showdown, but Xavi Alonso’s Leverkusen will be eager to prove they can compete.

Serie A: Inter and Juventus aim for wins

In Serie A, Inter Milan will look to bounce back from a derby defeat as they travel to Udinese for a 14:00 kickoff. Inter are the clear favourites, with high expectations for them to reclaim momentum in the title race.

Later, at 17:00, Juventus face Genoa, while Atalanta are favoured to win against Bologna in the final match of the day at 19:45.

Ligue 1: Monaco host Montpellier

In Ligue 1, Monaco will face Montpellier at 20:00 in a match where Monaco are the clear favourites.

Earlier, at 16:00, Lens will play Nice, followed by Le Havre hosting Lille at 18:00, with Lille expected to take the win.

[Punch]