Napoli boss, Antonio Conte has expressed regret over the club’s failure to sell Victor Osimhen this summer.
The Italian also appeared to confirm he has no plans to reintegrate the Nigeria international in the squad.
Conte spoke about the Osimhen situation after he led his side to a 2-1 win over Parma with Osimhen’s replacement, Romelu Lukaku coming off the bench to score one of the goals.
Osimhen failed to complete his transfer to Chelsea on transfer deadline day on Friday over the Blues failure to meet his salary demand.
With the coming of Lukaku, it means it would be difficult for the Super Eagles striker to find minutes under Conte.
“I’m happy with the work the club did on the market,” Conte said via Fabrizio Romano.
“If there had been the sale of Victor Osimhen, we would have completed the situation… but I’m happy”.
•Two-third of ministers underperforming – Opposition
Strong indications have emerged that President Bola Tinubu is planning to rejig his cabinet to ease out underperforming ministers.
Tinubu has been facing increasing pressure from within and outside his party, the All Progressives Congress, to sack ministers some of whom appeared to have been inactive.
The President had last year set up the Result and Delivery Unit, headed by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Mrs Hadiza Bala-Usman, to measure the performance of ministers and other top government officials serving in his administration. He warned that any minister or aide that underperformed would be sacked.
Last week, Tinubu replaced the directors-general of the National Intelligence Agency and the Department of State Services after the heads of the agencies resigned their appointments.
Sources in the Presidency told Sunday PUNCH that a cabinet reshuffle was imminent.
The officials, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter, revealed that some ministers would be dismissed, while others would be reassigned to other ministries for improved effectiveness.
However, the sources did not disclose the ministers likely to be affected.
“What I can tell you is some (ministers) will go. A few will swap positions, then new people will be brought on board. But the President will be focused more on capacity now; on people who can easily add value to his government”, a source stated.
Another source disclosed that Tinubu’s close associates agreed that the President required a stronger cabinet to implement his policies effectively.
The source stated, “The general concern among some of his aides, friends, and even the public is that the cabinet can be far better than this. There is a consensus among his (Tinubu) close friends that he needs a stronger cabinet to push through with his policies. It is one thing to announce policies and it is another thing for your ministers to deliver the outcomes you want. Oftentimes, it is the capacity of your cabinet members and heads of agencies that determines how you will deliver on those outcomes.
“If you look at the editorial by Financial Times earlier this week, it was not palatable at all. And what they were saying is that, yes, he has taken bold decisions, the reforms are good, but he has a weak cabinet that cannot help him to deliver on those reforms. That is why it appears like we are wobbling. So, he needs to bring in people with more energy and expertise, who are more patriotic and willing to roll up their sleeves and work for Nigeria and turn things around.
“If the past one year has not been eventful, he cannot afford to waste another year. This next one year is very critical. It is the next one year that will define the government.”
‘We expect nothing good from Tinubu, APC’
Meanwhile, opposition political parties have said they are not expecting anything good from the APC-led Federal Government.
Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, Yunusa Tanko, the campaign spokesman for a former Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, said the party was more concerned with improved electoral reforms.
He said, “We are not really interested in whether Tinubu changes or sacks his ministers. One of the major areas we thought there would be an improvement in is our demand for electoral reform. If we have an improved electoral reform, it will inevitably give us a good opportunity for credible elections to take place.
“Sacking or replacing your cabinet with new people is an extension of state capture. He will only be replacing them with his loyalists which we know will be a strategy ahead of 2027. But if he is really serious about improving the performance of his governance at the moment, he can start considering reshuffling his cabinet. Quite a number of the ministers are not measuring up to expectations.”
On his part, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, Ibrahim Abdullahi, attributed the ministers’ woeful performance to Tinubu’s lack of empathy for Nigerians.
Abdullahi said, “It is not about changing the cabinet. When you acquire power through fraudulent and desperate means, it would take a million efforts, programmes, and policies to correct it because something cannot stand without a foundation. So what is the foundation of his presidency? That is the crux of the matter. As PDP, we are not expecting anything good during this period of divine grace, that God will keep him in power.”
The National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Party, Peter Ameh, cautioned Tinubu against making the same mistake as his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, by keeping his ministers for eight years.
He said CUPP was not surprised by the failure of Tinubu’s ministers, adding that a responsible government would have dismissed them long ago.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, said only less than 15 ministers had met the expectations of Nigerians with their performance.
He argued that for Tinubu to succeed, he must “weed out” ministers underperforming and merge ministries and agencies performing similar functions.
He listed some of the underperforming ministers to include: the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman; Minister of Health, Muhammad Pate; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo; Minister of Transportation, Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali; and the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.
Adeniran described some of Tinubu’s appointments as “jobs for the boys” and called on the President to urgently implement the recommendations of the Steve Orosanye report to reduce the size and cost of government.
“Most of the ministers are not performing; they are just noise makers and they seem not to understand the job they have been appointed to do. From our assessment, few of the ministers, less than 15 of them are performing.
“The President needs to weed out more than two-third of the crowd he put together as his cabinet. If he has 48 ministers, we are saying that he should weed out a minimum of 36 of them, so that we will know those that are the performing ministers.
“If he (Tinubu) continues with these people, many of them are pulling him back on what he calls his mission in office and that is why Nigeria is in problem today. Weeding them (ministers) out will stabilise his administration more and make those that will remain to be focused. When he weeds out that two-third, he should not replace them with another, he should just merge the ministries with other ones and supervise others directly”, Adeniran said.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the Joint Action Front, Abiodun Bamgboye, attributed the poor performance of the ministers to the anti-people policies of Tinubu, saying even if the President sacked and replaced them with angels, they would fail.
According to him, the President is trying to save his face by planning to sack underperforming ministers, adding that the poor performance of the ministers was a reflection of Tinubu’s leadership.
“When you look at the current economic situation of the country, it does not suggest that any minister has performed to the expectations of Nigerians, but is not the question of ministers, it is the economic policies that this regime adopted,” Bamgboye said.
An economic expert, Aliyu Ilias, argued that holding ministers accountable by reducing their numbers could serve as a check on performance and improve governance.
Ilias stated that the current administration’s decision to maintain a large number of government officials was misguided.
He said, “We have not seen them sacking or reducing ministers. Rather, we see them praising them by saying that there is a livestock ministry again. This doesn’t make sense. Let’s give the President the benefit of the doubt. Sacking underperforming ministers will help this government and this will be like a check and balance on them to perform well.”
The Katsina State command of the Nigeria Police Force has confined the arrest and detention of three individuals suspected to be gunrunners.
According to the force, the individuals were arrested while transporting a significant quantity of ammunition intended for terrorists within the region.
During a press briefing at the Katsina police headquarters on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, disclosed that on August 29, 2024, at approximately 12:45 PM, law enforcement officials apprehended three individuals known for their involvement in gunrunning and seized a substantial amount of live ammunition.
He indicated that the suspects were captured in Dutsinma town, located in the Dutsinma Local Government Area, while they were in the process of delivering 740 rounds of live 7.62mm ammunition to alleged bandits in the Yauni forest, situated in Ummadau village, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Initial investigations suggest that the suspects had obtained the ammunition from Nasarawa State, intending to deliver it to a certain Harisu, a suspected leader of bandits who is currently evading capture.
Naija News understands that the three individuals have admitted to their roles in the operation and have implicated Harisu as the orchestrator, Aliyu further stated.
In a separate incident, three suspects confessed to the police regarding their method of transferring N6 million from a victim’s bank account by utilizing the victim’s mobile device.
The police spokesman said: “The fact of the case is that on 3rd August 2024, the command received a complaint that on the same date at about 0130 hrs, a three-man gang of suspected armed robbers criminally conspired and attacked the residence of one Ukashatu Isah, of Kofar Arewa quarters, Baure Local Government Area, Katsina State, where they robbed him of his two mobile phones at gunpoint.
“The suspects, using the stolen mobile phones, criminally transferred a total sum of N6 million naira from the victim’s bank account into three different bank accounts.
“Upon receipt of the report, detectives swung into action, and they successfully traced and arrested the trio in connection with the offence.
“During investigations, the suspects confessed to the commission of the offence and they will soon be charged to court.
“The Command is working tirelessly to apprehend more suspects and bring them to justice.
“This achievement demonstrates our commitment to combating banditry and gunrunning in Katsina State and beyond.”
•Suppliers unwilling to sell on further credit
•Credit trading not peculiar to us — Spokesman
Global suppliers of petrol are no longer enthusiastic about supplying the product on credit to the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) due to piling debts, Sunday Vanguard has learnt.
Competent industry sources told our correspondent last night that NNPCL, which solely imports the product using supply agents, is apparently weighed down by over $6 billion in debt, which the firm has not settled over time.
The setback, according to informed sources, is apparently responsible for the lingering hiccups in fuel supply in recent weeks, our correspondent gathered.
One of the sources familiar with the PMS importation into the country revealed that, at the moment, no fewer than five vessels which were primed to supply petrol to Nigeria have refused to discharge the product to NNPC due to fear that they would not be paid cash on delivery.
The insider pointed out that the mounting debt has heightened the pressure on the petroleum company, which has now resorted to rationing its stock and appealing to its long-term suppliers to not cut off supply.
A senior official at the NNPC, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the company is struggling to supply dealers due to a shortage of products at its disposal.
The official lamented: “Bulk sales of ships and trucks to depot owners have slowed down in the last five days due to shortage of supply”.
The source added that no bulk sales had taken place since Tuesday, resulting in the scarcity in the downstream sector.
Another NNPC staff told this newspaper that fuel shortage, which resulted in the long queues being experienced in the last two months, was principally caused by the reduction in supply of products by suppliers who are being owed by the Nigerian oil firm.
The top official admitted: “I was aware that at some points in mid-August, the Federal Government had to come in by giving money to NNPC to defray some of the outstanding liabilities and boost the confidence of the suppliers to continue.
“However, what was paid was about $300 million, which only helped us get some reprieve for about a week before the queues fully returned,” he said.
Credit transaction common in the oil business – NNPC
Responding, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Mr Femi Soneye, said it was a common practice in the global oil industry to trade on credit but would not say more than that.
Soneye said: “In the oil trading business, transactions are often carried out on credit; so it is normal to have outstanding balances at certain times.
“Additionally, through our subsidiary, NNPC Trading, we maintain open trade credit lines with several traders.”
But when asked to confirm the exact amount the company owes its PMS suppliers, the spokesperson declined, saying, “I will need some time to provide you with the exact amount”.
Erling Haaland scored a hattrick as Manchester City defeated West Ham United 3-1 in their English Premier League (EPL) clash at the London stadium on Saturday.
The late kick-off saw Haaland continue his scintillating start to the season, scoring all three goals against an attacking side that troubled the EPL champions but could not make the most of their impressive performance.
Haaland put City ahead in the 10th minute when he slid in to convert Bernardo Silva’s pass but West Ham responded with the equalizer nine minutes later, Ruben Dias scoring an own goal.
The Norwegian striker restored City’s lead with a fierce shot that flew into the roof of the net in the 30th minute before putting the game to bed seven minutes from time with another well-taken goal.
The hattrick is Haaland’s 11th of his Man City career — eighth in the EPL. He has scored seven goals in the opening three matches of the season as Pep Guardiola’s side continues their 100% start to the season.
In earlier matches, Brighton held ten-man Arsenal to a 1-1 draw in a match Declan Rice was dismissed for a second yellow card for time wastage.
Everton, however, surrendered a two-goal lead with three minutes of regulation time remaining and lost 3-2 to Bournemouth at Goodison Park.
However, Aston Villa held on to win 2-1 at Leicester City.
RESULTS
Arsenal 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Ipswich Town 1-1 Fulham
Leicester City 1-2 Aston Villa
Everton 2-3 Bournemouth
Brentford 3-1 Southampton
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
West Ham United 1-3 Manchester City
[TheCable]
Declan Rice was controversially sent off for the first time in the Premier League as Arsenal were held to a contentious 1-1 draw against Brighton on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s side were leading through Kai Havertz’s first-half strike when Rice saw red after the interval at the Emirates Stadium.
In a bizarre incident, the Arsenal midfielder earned a second booking for gently kicking the ball away and failing to retreat after fouling Brighton’s Joel Veltman.
Rice looked bewildered by the decision, while Arteta sought an explanation from the fourth official as Arsenal fans chanted “you’re not fit to referee” at Chris Kavanagh.
The Premier League said Rice was sent off for “delaying the restart”. VAR was unable to intervene because it was a yellow card and not a straight red.
Brighton took advantage of Rice’s dismissal to equalise through Joao Pedro, ending Arsenal’s 100 percent start to their bid to win the title for the first time since 2004.
The Gunners had won their opening two games of the season against Wolves and Aston Villa, but this was the first blow to their hopes of dethroning champions Manchester City.
Arsenal will be without the suspended Rice when they return to action after the international break with a north London derby trip to Tottenham on September 15.
“If it happens throughout the game in a consistent way it is fine but it didn’t. It is the inconsistency,” Arteta said of Rice’s red card.
“We started the game really well. We scored the goal, 1-0. We started the second half really good but then there is the decision that changes the game completely.”
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler inevitably saw it differently to Arteta, saying: “First of all he shoots the ball away so it is a clear yellow card, it changes the momentum of the game.”
Hurzeler has made an impressive start with Brighton, who are unbeaten in three games after building on last weekend’s win over Manchester United.
Arsenal new-boy Raheem Sterling watched from the stands following his deadline day loan move from Chelsea.
Sterling, who was frozen out by new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, wasn’t registered in time to feature but his name was cheered by Arsenal fans when he was welcomed to the club in a stadium announcement.
Rice sees red
Bukayo Saka tormented Brighton defender Jack Hinshelwood with his pace and movement in the early stages, easing into space for a pair of shots that Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen repelled.
Arteta’s belief that the inconsistent Havertz can be an adequate striker for a team with title ambitions looked well placed in the 38th minute as the German broke the deadlock.
Havertz came in for criticism after scoring just 13 times last season following his move from Chelsea.
But he showed composure and quality to deftly chip over the on-rushing Verbruggen from the edge of the area after Saka punished Lewis Dunk’s hesitancy with a clever flicked pass.
Rice escaped with only a yellow card after the Arsenal midfielder crunched into Veltman, a decision that saw Hurzeler booked for protesting.
But Rice wasn’t so fortunate in the 49th minute when he was dismissed after kicking the ball away and failing to retreat before a Brighton free-kick.
Rice had just conceded a foul with a challenge on Veltman, whose kick out at the midfielder in the aftermath looked the more significant offence.
Pedro rubbed salt into Arsenal’s wounds with his 58th minute equaliser.
Dunk’s superb pass split the Gunners defence and Yankuba Minteh sprinted clear for a shot that was pushed out by David Raya to Pedro, who fired home from close-range.
It was the first goal Arsenal had conceded this season, but they should have regained the lead when Havertz broke free for a low shot that was too close to Verbruggen, who saved Saka’s sliding effort seconds later.
In a frantic finale, Raya saved Yasin Ayari’s close-range effort and Carlos Baleba smashed over the bar as 10-man Arsenal held on.
Erling Haaland fired Manchester City to the top of the Premier League with a second consecutive hat-trick in a 3-1 win at West Ham on Saturday.
The Norwegian put Ipswich to the sword last weekend and followed up with another treble to take his tally to 70 goals in 69 Premier League games since joining City from Borussia Dortmund.
City have started the defence of their title in ominous fashion for those looking to depose Pep Guardiola’s men after winning the league for four consecutive seasons.
The English champions are the only side so far to win all three of their opening fixtures before an upcoming international break, helped in no small part by Haaland’s electric start.
Guardiola could again afford the luxury of leaving Rodri, John Stones and Kyle Walker on the bench after their exertions in reaching the final of Euro 2024, while Phil Foden missed out for the second successive game through illness.
In contrast to most of his team-mates who were in action at the Euros and Copa America, Haaland had the summer off from international duty and looks as refreshed as he has been ruthless.
After scoring in the opening weekend win at Chelsea and hitting his 10th City hat-trick against Ipswich, Haaland is now up to a Premier League record seven goals in the first three games of a season.
West Ham only had themselves to blame for the opener as they coughed up possession deep inside their own half and Bernardo Silva picked out Haaland to coolly slot beyond Alphonse Areola.
City looked set to put the game to bed in the opening stages as Areola denied Kevin De Bruyne before the Belgian smashed a shot off the crossbar.
But with West Ham’s first purposeful attack they were level thanks to a helping hand from the visitors.
Julen Lopetegui has promised a more attractive style of football after the Hammers fans grew tired of David Moyes’ reign despite impressive results.
At the end of an impressive move from one end to the other, Jarrod Bowen drove into the City box and his low cross was turned into his own net by Ruben Dias.
City quickly restored their grip on proceedings and restored their lead with an intricate move of their own that ended with a resounding finish.
Rico Lewis’ pass found Haaland, who then picked his spot and smashed the ball high past Areola.
Haaland should also have had an assist before the break as Lewis fired over from his deft lay-off.
City left the door open in the second half as they failed to find the killer third goal and could have been punished.
A lightning counter-attack saw Bowen play in Mohammed Kudus, who cannoned a powerful effort back off the post.
Haaland, though, fittingly had the final say to seal the three points.
The 24-year-old was played in by Matheus Nunes and confidently scooped the ball over substitute ‘keeper Lukasz Fabianski.
And the veteran Polish stopper was called into action to deny Haaland a fourth in stoppage time.
A second defeat in three games for West Ham leaves Lopetegui’s men down in 14th.
Sule Lamido, an ex-governor of Jigawa, says former President Muhammadu never wanted Bola Tinubu to be his successor.
Lamido said Buhari wanted Ahmad Lawan, a former senate president, to succeed him.
In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, Lamido said Buhari was “naive and absurd” in his political calculation, adding that the former president wanted a northern successor after he had spent eight years.
The former governor said Buhari did not trust his vice-president, Yemi Osinbajo, to succeed him.
“Prior to the convention, he (Tinubu) was in Abeokuta, Ogun state, where he boasted that it was his turn to rule Nigeria. And Buhari, very naive, was watching,” Lamido said.
“He never liked Tinubu. There was somebody he wanted. He didn’t even trust his own vice president, Professor (Yemi) Osinbajo; he wanted Ahmed Lawan, but his calculation was absurd.
“You have done eight years for the north, and you wanted another northerner for another eight years! No. Maybe later, but there are some dynamics which you can’t alter, not in Nigeria of today.
“The president of Nigeria, after being in office for eight years, lacked the courage to push through his anointed choice.
“He was there at the convention, and Tinubu, that he never liked, and never believed in, emerged.
“Tinubu knows that his victory wasn’t from Buhari; therefore, he owes him nothing.
“He wasn’t the choice of Afenifere; Obasanjo never liked him, but he became president. All the other groups, including the governors, were there, but he won. He was determined to demolish all obstacles, and he crushed them.”
The former governor said it will be “very difficult” for Tinubu to be defeated in the 2027 presidential election.
He added that Tinubu defeated all obstacles to become president in 2023, including a sitting president, who did not want him.
“We are working hard, but it is a huge task. It is going to be difficult with Tinubu, with his hold on the country, on the economy, and his audacity to say this is where I stand against Nigeria’s interest. It is something else,” he said.
“Tinubu is very daring; he is his own creation, he is a self-made man, right from Chicago, what he went through on the streets.
“Look at how he was able to fight the Alliance for Democracy and Afenifere and then Obasanjo.”
Four travellers have died as twenty others sustained injuries including two corps members in a multiple accident in Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State.
The accident along Osun/Ondo road via Joseph Ayo Babalola University(JABU) involved three vehicles.
A video circulating on social media showed many wounded passengers lying down on the floor, some of them dead.
Reacting to the accident, the Osun State Commandant of the Federal Road Safety Commission(FRSC), Taofeek Sokunbi, blamed the incident on the carelessness of the drivers.
He said, “The accident occurred three days ago. Four people died and twenty people were injured. The accident occurred when there was a speed breaker.
“I want to urge drivers to drive carefully on the road because the accident was caused by over speeding. The accident was carelessness on the path of the driver.“
Chidinma Adetshina representing Taraba State has been crowned Miss Universe Nigeria 2024, beating out 24 other contestants for the coveted title.
Adetshina clinched the coveted crown at the grand finale of the beauty pageant held at Eko Hotel and Suites on Saturday night.
The 23-year-old beauty queen, who recently made headlines for her withdrawal from the Miss South Africa pageant due to a controversy over her Nigerian heritage, proved to be a fan favorite throughout the competition after accruing the highest number of votes.
As the newly crowned Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidinma will represent the country at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant, scheduled to take place later this year in Mexico.
She succeeds last year’s winner, Mitchell Ikachukwu, and will carry on the legacy of Nigerian beauty and excellence on the global stage.
Emerging winners on the night as well were Miss Anambra as the first runner-up also known as Miss Supranational and Miss Ondo, the second runner-up known as Miss Lush.
Miss Rivers, Miss Kwara also won special awards.
Miss Oyo scooped the top model award of the night while Miss Imo won Best Costume of the night. Miss Abuja also won Best Talent of Award.
In the top 10 were Miss Kwara, Edo, Taraba, Anambra, Ogun, Plateau, Lagos, Rivers, Ekiti and Ondo.
In the top five were Taraba, Rivers, Edo, Ondo and Anambra.
Being among the first three with the highest votes, Miss Taraba emerged the new Miss Universe Nigeria by the judges scorecards.
Chidimma withdrawal from the South African pageant final came a day after the Home Affairs ministry accused her mother of fraud and identity theft.
“After much careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw myself from the competition for the safety and wellbeing of my family and I,” Adetshina, 23, wrote on Instagram.
Adetshina, a law student, was the subject of vicious, xenophobic attacks on social media since she was announced as a finalist in July, with many — including cabinet ministers — questioning her credentials because of her Nigerian descent.
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Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen suffered their first Bundesliga defeat since May 2023 as a 3-2 loss at home to RB Leipzig on Saturday snapped their 35-match unbeaten run in the top flight.
In a volatile match which saw visiting coach Marco Rose sent to the stands in the first half, Leverkusen jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo.
But Kevin Kampl scored for Leipzig against the run of play just before half-time and Lois Openda levelled things up early in the second period.
Openda scored again with 10 minutes remaining to secure victory for Leipzig against last season’s unbeaten league and cup winners.
“We had the chance to finish the game, but the goals we conceded were far too easy,” said Leverkusen captain Jonathan Tah.
“We defend as a team, but we fell asleep a few times and of course we’re going to be punished.”
The loss for Leverkusen ended a run of 43 domestic matches without defeat, a run spanning 463 days.
Xabi Alonso’s side, who have scored 17 goals in the 88th minute or later this year, pushed to keep their record alive, but could not find an equaliser this time.
“We knew it was going to be very hard to play here, Leverkusen play lethal football. We wanted to be courageous and get on the front foot,” said Kampl.
“We know we’ve also got quality up front. We were ice-cold today.”
Rose was sent to the stands after he was yellow-carded twice in quick succession in the first half for touchline outbursts after a foul on his player.
The Leipzig coach appeared to still be seething after Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface caught the head of Amadou Haidara while attempting a bicycle kick. He was upset Boniface escaped with a booking as Haidara needed to be replaced.
Dortmund held at Bremen
Earlier on Saturday, a toothless and ill-disciplined Borussia Dortmund were held to a 0-0 draw at Werder Bremen.
Dortmund dominated possession but failed to break through and played the final 17 minutes a man down after centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck was sent off.
They came into the game with Maximilian Beier as their one recognised striker, having sent Sebastien Haller out on loan to La Liga side Leganes late on Friday.
Summer signing Serhou Guirassy, brought in to replace Niclas Fuellkrug after the Germany striker left for West Ham, is still weeks away from a return from a knee injury.
Schlotterbeck picked up a second yellow for a challenge on Justin Njinmah, reducing his side to 10 men.
“Everything isn’t exactly great yet,” said Dortmund midfielder Pascal Gross. “The coach prepared us well but we need to do better at implementing it”.
Last season’s surprise runners-up Stuttgart again gave away points from a winning position, drawing 3-3 with Mainz after conceding an equaliser in stoppage time.
Strikes from Enzo Millot and Jamie Leweling inside the opening 15 minutes put Stuttgart in control.
The hosts however let Mainz back into the match when Millot gave away a clumsy penalty late in the first half which was converted by Nadiem Amiri.
Jonathan Burkardt, who won the penalty, headed Mainz level after 62 minutes.
Stuttgart — who led in their Bundesliga opener and in the Super Cup against Leverkusen before losing both — led again when Fabian Rieder scored a stunning free-kick with two minutes remaining.
Mainz’s Maxim Leitsch scored in the fourth minute of added time to snatch a point for the visitors.
“We actually played a pretty good game, but we undid it by making simple mistakes,” Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller told Sky.
Eintracht Frankfurt won their opening home game 3-1 against Hoffenheim.
Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike again impressed in the win, scoring the opener and laying on a perfect pass for Hugo Larsson’s second.
Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric, who scored a hat-trick in last week’s season opener, pulled one back for the visitors early in the second half but Egypt winger Omar Marmoush added another to seal the match.
Borussia Moenchengladbach won 2-0 at Bochum, while top-flight newcomers Holstein Kiel are still looking for their first Bundesliga point, going down 2-0 at home to Wolfsburg.
Brazil winger Raphinha scored a hat-trick as Barcelona thrashed Real Valladolid 7-0 on Saturday to make it four wins from four in La Liga under new coach Hansi Flick.
While bitter rivals Real Madrid have stumbled early following the much-trumpeted arrival of Kylian Mbappe, Barcelona are off to a flying start despite their continued financial difficulties.
Raphinha opened the scoring at the Olympic Stadium on 20 minutes as he chested down a pass from Pau Cubarsi and flicked elegantly into the far corner with the outside of his left boot.
Robert Lewandowski soon doubled the lead when he latched onto a ball through from Lamine Yamal and squeezed a shot past Valladolid goalkeeper Karl Hein, on loan from Arsenal.
Jules Kounde made it three before half-time when a corner dropped to the France defender inside the area and he stabbed into the top corner while off-balance.
Raphinha had a simple tap-in from close range just past the hour, with Lewandowski and Yamal involved before the ball broke kindly for the Brazilian.
He completed his treble on 72 minutes following a brilliant burst forward from Yamal, who then slid through a delightful pass for Raphinha to stroke home.
Dani Olmo, who got the winner midweek at Rayo Vallecano, on his debut, struck with his final touch as he danced past a series of defenders and rolled in Barcelona’s sixth.
Raphinha rounded off a glittering performance with the assist for Ferran Torres as Barcelona hit a seventh, fizzing in a cross from the left for the substitute to steer home in clinical fashion.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has vowed not to allow anyone to take over the Peoples Democratic Party structure in Rivers State.
The former Rivers State Governor vowed to cause a political crisis in their states if any PDP governor tried interfering in the party’s affairs in the South-South state.
PUNCH Online reports that the PDP governors, who met in Taraba State on August 23, weighed in on the crisis rocking the party in the state and reiterated their support for Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The PDP Governors’ Forum, in a communique read by its Chairman and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, called for a review of the party congress outcome to restore Fubara’s leadership role in the state.
Speaking at the PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Saturday during the party’s state congress, Wike urged the PDP governors to stay clear of the party’s affairs in Rivers.
He said, “Let me assure all of you, not while we live will anybody take away the structure of the PDP from us. But let me tell people, I hear some governors who say they will take over the structure and give back to somebody.
“I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states. When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace – anything you see you take.
“Because I heard they got some money from a signature bonus, and so their heads are getting big that you will put a hand in my own state. Prepare because I have the capacity to also do the same thing in your own state.
“Whether you are from Bauchi, I don’t give a damn, whichever state you are from, as far as I know, that you are trying to put yourself in Rivers State, your hand will get burnt, and you will never sleep in your state.”
The Rivers PDP has been in crisis following the fallout between Wike and his predecessor, who was absent at the congress.
In attendance alongside the minister were some serving and past lawmakers at both federal and state levels, former council chairmen, and other party faithful.
[Punch]
A few days ago, a new coach was hired for the Super Eagles, the national football team of Nigeria.
Under normal circumstances, it would be considered too soon to start any controversial discourse on the man. However, the shrouded process of the appointment, the timing of it, and the calibre of the person engaged following one of the worst periods in Nigeria’s football history, have raised a lot of eyebrows. To be silent would be tantamount to lazy journalism.
He is foreign, a German. His name is Bruno.
The only famous Bruno in sports that I know of are Fernandez of Manchester United FC, and the British boxer. In coaching, not any of the known names in international football that would have silenced critics and sceptics avers to hiring any more foreign coaches in Africa in 2024 after all the previous failures.
So, Bruno who?
The appointment of a Bruno Labbadia, therefore, came as a complete surprise to everyone (except, of course,those that must have been behind the deal). There must be some kind of deal in this new arrangement. That’s the only way to understand the rationale for a football administration to dare at this time to present to Nigerians a totally unknown coach, straight from the blue, completely outside the radar of even the most ardent football followers.
Bruno’s choice immediately attracts interest. The current relatively subdued debates on the issue are a result of the ‘shock’ of the audacity of the NFF administration to present, without clear reasons and motivation, a low-level foreign coach without international recognition or solid credentials after the unconvincing performances by several foreign coaches with better credentials, including Jose Paseiro, to Nigerians.
This is not even good to stick to the doctrine of a foreign coach given the outcry over previous dismal failures marked by a desert of trophies. The impression most Nigerians had after Paseiro’s ouster is that any new appointment would pass through microscopic lenses and scrutiny. For any foreign coach to be hired would as difficult as a ‘camel passing through the eye of a needle’. I had assumed that an unknown foreign coach would never again be unleashed on Nigerians. I now humbly concede naivety.
There are too many boxes that any prospective new coach would have to tick.
The person must be renowned internationally; must have clear and solid records of achievements to show in football; must be grounded in African football and footballers, either as a coach or even as a player; must have the reputation as a former player or as a coach to earn the immediate respect of the big superstars in the Eaglesand the critical Nigerian public.
Does Bruno Labbadia tick any of the boxes?
The Super Eagles are a very troubled team.
The team has not done well for several years in all competitions. The last AFCON in January/February this year was a punctuation mark with performances, since then, that make their commendable achievement look like a fluke. At AFCON 2023, they defied all the odds, rode on the back of some decent performances and got to the finals of the African Championship.
Since then, however, there has been a huge slump in performance, disturbing to the extent that the coach of the team, even after being lavishly celebrated and rewarded (prematurely it now seems), was sent ‘packing’ with the refusal to renew his contract.
The Super Eagles now face many challenges. The most glaring is that the team lacks depth in quality of players that can lift it above the present plateau where the team has remained for well over a decade, unable to win any major trophies, and not convincing anyone of its once-undisputed status as a giant in African football. Smaller countries that the Super Eagles used to devour for ‘breakfast’ have suddenly become their Nemesis. Some have even defeated the Super Eagles on their home turf, something that was once considered ‘impossible’!
With this new appointment of Bruno, my feeling is that the NFF has taken on a big gamble.
The expectation was that any new coach must start to win from Day One, and that there will be no excuses or time for a honeymoon. Nigerian coaches were not given any such luxury.
As Bruno Labbadia resumes and takes charge, his previous ‘record’ of never winning any trophy in his almost 30 years career as a coach, amounts to nothing. It will not serve as an acceptable excuse should he fail to deliver by defeating the Cheetahs of Benin Republic next week in a 2025 AFCON-qualifying match to be played in Uyo, Nigeria. The match has tension and grudge written all over it.
Gernot Rohr, the last German coach that was sacked by Nigeria some years ago, now leads the Cheetahs for this sequel against the Super Eagles.
He came a few months ago and inflicted the defeat on the Super Eagles that fast-tracked Jose Paseiro’s exit from Nigeria. That defeat was one of the worst and most humiliating in Nigerian football history. It must not happen again!
Unfortunately, even as the team list for the match was released during the week, it showed that Bruno would still be working with most of the same set of players that could not lift Nigerian football higher in the past decade. Is there some ‘magic’ that he would perform with the players within the one week that he has before the match?
There is also a second match within days against Rwanda in Kigali, another mountain that the new coach will have to climb to clear the cloud before the eyes of Nigerians about a certain coach from ‘nowhere’ leading their prized Super Eagles.
These two matches are critical for Bruno’s survival as the coach of the national team, and for the NFF itself as a board. Nigerians are waiting and watching.
Meanwhile, for academic reasons only, it will be interesting to know the value of Bruno’s contract, the duration of the contract, the target(s) set for him, who pays his wages between the sports ministry and the federation, foreign assistants (will he make use of local coaches), and so on.
The more I look at all this matter of Bruno Labbadia, the more I see it as one huge gamble by the NFF.