Sport
Saturday, 28 July 2018 04:12
Cristiano Ronaldo fined 3.2 million euro in tax evasion case
Cristiano Ronaldo will be fined 3.2 million euros (2.82 million pounds)and sentenced to 24 months in prison, a sentence he is unlikely to serve, after settling a tax evasion case with Spanish tax authorities, the prosecutor said on Friday. The 33-year-old is accused of evading 5.7 million euros in taxes. He has denied the allegations. Ronaldo is unlikely to go to prison as Spanish law states a sentence of under two years for a first offence can be served on probation. The football star will be required to pay the 3.2-million-euro fine plus the 5.7 million euros in back taxes,…
Thursday, 26 July 2018 04:44
2018 World Cup: 75 Nigerian football fans abscond in Russia – FG
Ministry of Foreign Affairs says 75 out of 230 stranded Nigerian Football fans absconded in Russia after 2018 FIFA World Cup. The ministry’s Spokesperson, Mr Tope Elias-Fatile, said Wednesday in Abuja that the fans absconded in spite of government’s efforts to repatriate them. Fatile said 230 stranded Nigerian football fans were profiled to board chartered Ethiopian Airline to Abuja but at the last minute, only 155 boarded the flight. “As at the last count, over 230 stranded Nigerians had been cleared to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to Abuja, however, only 155 boarded the flight that arrived Friday night July…
Tuesday, 24 July 2018 05:10
NFF crisis: DSS kicks out Giwa, restores Pinnick
Secretariat of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), was thrown into confusion, when members of Amaju Pinnick’s-led Executive Committee led by second Vice President, Mr Shehu Dikko stormed the Glass House yesterday evening. Operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) were jolted to their feet on sighting three cars they came with, mistaking them for Chris Giwa-led faction. It took the intervention of the General Secretary, Mr Mohammed Sanusi, to calm the security agents. Shortly after the drama, board members comprising Chairman, technical sub-committee, Mr Ahmed Yusuf Fresh and Chairman of chairmen, Mr Ibrahim Gusau held closed door meeting with Sanusi before…
Sunday, 22 July 2018 03:13
155 Nigerians stranded in Russia after World Cup arrive Abuja
A nursing mother and 154 out of 230 Nigerian football fans stranded in Russia after the 2018 FIFA World Cup arrived the country Friday night. The stranded football fans came through Ethiopian Airline flight number ET-ALP that arrived Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja at about 9.12 p.m on July 20. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, who was at the airport to monitor their arrival, lauded President Muhammadu Buhari’s effort to ensure their safe return. He said the president had directed that Nigerians, stranded in Russia after the 2018 World Cup tournament, should be evacuated immediately. According to him,…
Sunday, 22 July 2018 03:11
Niger 2019: Nigeria’s Flying Eagles beat Mauritania to qualify
Flying Eagles of Nigeria have qualified for 2019 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations to be staged in Niger Republic in 2019. Nigeria U-20 team sealed their qualification in style on Saturday at Agege Stadium in Lagos as they thumped their counterparts from Mauritania 5-0. The Flying Eagles scored two goals in the first half and did more in the second half to confirm their superiority over their opponents. It was Wasiu Alalade that put Nigeria in front in the 12th minute with a shot from a goalmouth scramble. After a flurry of missed chances, Flying Eagles doubled their lead after…
Tuesday, 17 July 2018 05:07
Buhari orders repatriation of Nigerians stranded in Russia
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama and Minister of State, Aviation, Mr Hadi Sirika, to commence the process of repatriating Nigerians who travelled to Russia for FIFA 2018 World Cup and got stranded after the competition. The Presidency said Nigerian football fans got stranded in the country following activities of some unscrupulous travel agents who cancelled their return tickets and abandoned them to their fate. It said Onyeoma and Sirika have in compliance with the president’s directive taken necessary actions to bring the Nigerians back. “The Presidential directive is in line with the policy…
Tuesday, 17 July 2018 05:05
World Cup win gives France new set of heroes, needed boost
The welcome was grand, the emotion visceral as France's victorious World Cup team rolled down Paris' Champs-Elysees Avenue in an open-top bus Monday while tens of thousands of people cheered with unrestrained pride and jets streamed the national colors — blue, white, red — overhead. The crowd that waited for hours to greet the soccer team, under a hot sun and amid celebratory smoke bombs that choked the air, got its moment hours after the team returned from Russia to hoist the gold trophy on French soil for the second time in 20 years. The national team's 4-2 win over…
Tuesday, 17 July 2018 05:04
More than 250,000 welcome Croatia home after World Cup final
In an outburst of national pride and joy, Croatia rolled out a red carpet and staged a euphoric heroes' welcome for the national team on Monday despite its loss to France in the World Cup final. Hundreds of thousands of people wearing national red-and-white checkered colors and waving Croatian flags poured into the streets in the capital Zagreb to greet the team. Observers described the homecoming event as the biggest ever in Croatia. The joyful, singing crowd crammed the central squares and the route where the players passed in an open bus, greeting fans and signing autographs. Police said more…
Monday, 16 July 2018 04:19
With flags, song, pride, French celebrate unifying victory
It was a victory for all of France and the home crowd did it justice, pouring into Paris' Champs-Elysees Avenue by the tens of thousands to celebrate in an explosion of joy. France's 4-2 win over Croatia in the World Cup final in Moscow on Sunday marked the second time in 20 years that France has won the World Cup, and came at a time when the people feel needy. "It represents enormous things," said Goffrey Hamsik, dressed in a hat resembling a rooster — the French national symbol — and a shirt with the No. 10 for Kylian Mpappe,…
Monday, 16 July 2018 04:18
Russian women push back at shaming over World Cup dating
Hundreds of thousands of foreign men have flooded into Russia for the monthlong World Cup, setting off a fierce debate in the host nation about the roles and rights of women. Russian women who have dated the soccer fans have been shamed by some Russian commentators, denounced for allegedly undermining the country's morals and gene pool. The widespread, vehement criticism has shown the dominance of patriarchal and sexist views in Russia, where the concept of gender equality is a generation behind that of the West's. Still, the reaction against Russian women's World Cup dalliances has been so strong that some…
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Sunday, 15 July 2018 04:00
Kerber tops Williams at Wimbledon for 3rd Grand Slam title
Angelique Kerber was not about to be overwhelmed by the setting or the stakes in this Wimbledon final. She knew exactly what to expect — and what to do — against Serena Williams. Two years after losing to Williams with a title on the line at Centre Court , Kerber came through. So steady, so patient, so accurate throughout, she never really gave Williams much of a chance this time, putting together a 6-3, 6-3 victory Saturday for her first championship at the All England Club and third major overall. "I think it's the experience. You have to go through…
Sunday, 15 July 2018 03:58
Belgium overpower tired England to secure third place
Belgium beat England 2-0 in the World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday to secure their best ever finish at a World Cup and send Gareth Southgate's side home with a second straight loss. A fourth-minute goal from Thomas Meunier and an 82nd-minute Eden Hazard strike earned Belgium the victory and third place, which improved on their previous best performance of fourth in 1986. "It’s all about that achievement. I think these players deserve that," Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said. "What we have seen in this World Cup is that the players did not want to rely on talent anymore, they…
Friday, 13 July 2018 04:26
Nigeria's amputee football team prepares for World Cup debut
Sixteen years after Emmanuel Ibeawuchi lost a leg in a road accident, his dream of playing soccer in a World Cup is about to become a reality. He will captain Nigeria's team when it makes its debut at the Amputee Football World Cup in Mexico in October. The team hopes to follow in the footsteps of Nigeria's disabled athletes who won eight gold medals at the 2016 Paralympics, along with two silver and two bronze medals, to finish 17th in the medal table and top among African countries. "We are the best all over the world so whatever we do…
Friday, 13 July 2018 04:24
Serena Williams nears 8th Wimbledon title, 24th Slam overall
Yes, this will be Serena Williams' 10th Wimbledon final. Yes, it's her 30th title match at any major. And, well, sure, she's widely regarded as not just the best of her era, but any era. Let others shrug at this latest accomplishment, as if all it signified were merely another chance at another in a long line of trophies. Williams is not shy about saying she, for one, is impressed by this. Rightly so. For it was only about 10 months ago she was having a baby and then dealing with a serious health scare that followed. Even after all…