Jamixyblog

Argentina's Messi is different from Barca's Messi: France's Umtiti

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 20:32:00 +0000

France’s chance against Argentina in the World Cup last 16 might be that Lionel Messi does not benefit from the same support with the national team than at Barcelona, his club team mate Samuel Umtiti said on Thursday.

The France centre back has been Messi’s team mate for two years and the two teammates will be adversaries when Les Bleus take on Argentina in a mouth-watering second round tie on Saturday.

Umtiti, who is expected to start at the Kazan Arena after being rested in France’s last group game against Denmark, said: “I see him everyday. It is very hard to stop him. He’s got outstanding qualities.

“We will try to stop him but he’s not the only one in this Argentina team, they have other strikers.”

But while Messi can rely on a reliable Luis Suarez at Barca, he is a bit more on his own with Argentina, with Gonzalo Higuain having notably not scored in his last eight outings with the national team.

Messi can’t do everything on his own’

He also has to deal with the weight of a whole nation expecting him to win the World Cup in what is likely to be his last shot at the biggest trophy in football.

“He is different with Argentina than with Barcelona,” said Umtiti.

“He does not have the same players with him and their way of playing is different but he has saved them on several occasions.

“The Argentineans are tough on him, but he cannot do everything on his own.”

Umtiti, who is paired with Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane in defence, should have a key role against Messi if he is well fed by his team, which was not always the case in the group phase, which Argentina escaped with a last-gasp 2-1 win against Nigeria.

eSwatini police fire stun grenades at anti-government protesters

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 19:56:00 +0000

Police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets at protesters in eSwatini on Friday as they marched against poor service delivery, alleged misuse of state pension funds and a proposed law to charge citizens who marry foreigners.

At least one person was taken to hospital with injuries after police fired on the crowd of more than 2,000 placard-waving demonstrators walking towards government headquarters in the capital Mbabane, a Reuters witness said.

The tiny landlocked southern African country, formerly known as Swaziland and with a population of 1.4 million people, is ruled by the increasingly powerful King Mswati III, the continent’s last remaining absolute monarch.

An official at the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland, one of the protest organisers, said the demonstration was a success while criticising the police’s reaction.

“We will reap the fruits of our toil,” Muzi Mhlanga told Reuters. “We are very worried with the way police behaved. We have recorded their brutality.”

Citizens protest new restrictive laws

The king last week said from June 30 parliament would be dissolved and he would make all decisions with a council of ministers, including over a finance bill that would require Swazi citizens to pay 30,000 rand ($2,200) to marry a foreigner.

Thousands of foreigners, mostly from Asia, apply each year to become Swazi citizens for business purposes. The government wants to crackdown on sham marriages aimed at cheating the system.

The king’s cabinet this month ordered an end to a probe into alleged looting of the state pension fund, which contributed $70,000 for his lavish birthday celebration in April.

Minister for Public Service Owen Nxumalo told parliament on Thursday that all pension funds were handled appropriately.

The king is accused by activists and rights groups of using the public purse to fund his family’s lavish lifestyle while most of his subjects live in poverty, in a country with the world’s highest HIV/AIDS rate.

He denies allegations of corruption.

The king in April renamed the country the Kingdom of eSwatini.

Senegal, Africa eliminated from 2018 FIFA World Cup

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 21:34:00 +0000

Senegal have been eliminated from the 2018 FIFA World Cup, after losing 0-1 to Colombia in the final Group H game.

The Lions of Teranga, who were the only remaining African side in the tournament, became the first side in history to be eliminated from the World Cup based on their fair play points.

Match of the Day

✔@BBCMOTD

#SEN are out!

They're the first team ever to be eliminated from a #WorldCup based on fair play points.#COL will play the runners-up from #ENG and #BEL group, #JPN will play the winners.

5:54 PM - Jun 28, 2018

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Senegal, ended their campaign level on points with Japan, who also lost their final game 0-1 to Poland, but were eliminated because they had more yellow cards than the Japanese.

Japan and Senegal having the same number of points, goal difference and goals scored, it came down to disciplinary record to decide the runners-up. Japan progressed with two fewer yellow cards than the African side.

This will be the first time since the round of 16 came into being in 1986, that there will no representation of an African side.

The other African teams at this year’s World Cup including Nigeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco were eliminated.

How the match unfolded

Following 74 minutes of tense football with few chances, Mina stooped to score the crucial goal from a corner and send the yellow-clad Colombian fans wild in the Samara Arena.

Senegal, who had most of the better play in the first half, thought they had a penalty when Sadio Mane went down in the area on 17 minutes. However, after consultation with the video assistant referee (VAR), Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez was deemed to have touched the ball and the decision was reversed.

Colombia will face the runner-up of Group G, which will be either England or Belgium.

Ethiopia: Ten people killed in violence in Benishangul-Gumuz region

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 21:09:00 +0000

The number of people killed in Ethiopia’s western Benishangul-Gumuz region has risen to ten since unrest erupted on Monday, officials said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the violence, which has largely been restricted to the province’s capital, Assosa, although residents told Reuters that large mobs were attacking ethnic minorities that had settled there.

The Berta and Gumuz ethnic groups are considered indigenous to Benishangul-Gumuz, which borders Sudan, but the province has a large presence of ethnic Amharas and Oromos, who are labelled “highlanders” and originally hailed from the country’s larger Amhara and Oromiya provinces.

We have 40 suspects in custody and we believe they have been given financial incentives to commit violence.

Dinsa Beyene, head of the regional state’s justice and security administration bureau, told state media on Thursday that 38 others were injured in the conflict.

‘‘We have 40 suspects in custody and we believe they have been given financial incentives to commit violence,” Ashadli Hassen, the region’s president told reporters on Thursday. He did not give further details.

The violence comes amid increasing ethnicity-based unrest throughout the country and after a grenade attack at a rally on Saturday that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attended.

Ethiopia says forces behind grenade attack could strike again.

United Nations accuses Malian forces of executing 12 civilians at a market

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 02:27:00 +0000

Malian forces involved in the fight against Islamist militants in the West African nation executed 12 civilians in retaliation after a soldier was killed in an attack in May, the U.N. mission in Mali said on Tuesday.

Mali’s fight against jihadist groups in the centre and north of the country has been marred by a series of alleged abuses, some of which the government has acknowledged.

Those abuses, as well as tit-for-tat attacks by rival ethnic groups, have fuelled surging violence across vast swathes of Mali, raising doubts about the government’s ability to organise a presidential election scheduled for July 29.

The U.N. mission in Mali, MINUSMA, said in a statement that its investigation had concluded that Malian troops from the G5 Sahel – a joint task force with Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania – “summarily and/or arbitrarily executed 12 civilians at the Boulkessy cattle market” on May 19.

It said that the report has been handed to Mali’s government and that Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the head of MINUSMA, “calls on the Malian authorities to ensure that the investigation underway is carried out as quickly as possible”.

There was no immediate comment from Malian authorities.

Mali’s government said last week that some of its soldiers were implicated in gross rights violations after the discovery of mass graves in central Mali. Rights groups have alleged widespread abuses, but the government has rejected those claims.

IAAF refuses to soften stance against Semenya

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 02:06:00 +0000

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) will not soften its stance on new regulations for female classification and is ready to defend it in the Court of Arbitration for Sport(CAS), president Sebastian Coe has said.

Coe’s comments follow Tuesday’s meeting in London with Athletics South Africa president Aleck Skhosana in which the concerns of ASA over the new ruling were discussed.

ASA and South African double Olympic and triple world 800 metres champion Caster Semenya have both separately appealed to CAS to have the new regulations that limit the levels of naturally-occurring testosterone in female athletes set aside.

South Africa’s case

Coe and Skhosana met to clarify their positions and with neither side willing to budge they have declared that CAS is the best body to rule on the dispute.

“We will support our athletes on the grounds that the regulations discriminate against certain female athletes on the basis of natural physical characteristics and/or sex,” Skhosana said in a media release from the IAAF on Wednesday.

He added that ASA and Semenya have the support of the South African government and the country’s Olympic Committee.

IAAF’s defence

But Coe says there will be no easing of the regulations, set to be introduced on Nov. 1, as the IAAF believe they are the fairest solution to a tricky challenge facing the sport.

“We need to create competition categories within our sport that ensures that success is determined by talent, dedication and hard work, rather than by other factors that are not considered fair or meaningful, such as the enormous physical advantages that an adult has over a child, or a male athlete has over a female athlete,” Coe said.

“We therefore need to come up with a fair solution for intersex/DSD (differences of sexual development) athletes wishing to compete in the female category, which is what the new regulations set out to do, based on the evidence the IAAF has gathered about the degree of performance benefit that such intersex/DSD athletes get from their higher levels of circulating testosterone.”

The IAAF said its decision was based on peer-reviewed studies and observation by scientists which showed that females with above-normal or male equivalent levels of testosterone had up to a 12 percent performance advantage over fellow female athletes.

Testosterone is a hormone that increases muscle mass, strength and haemoglobin, which affects endurance.

Italian giants AC Milan: banned from European football for one season

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 22:35:00 +0000

Italian giants AC Milan have been banned from European football for one year for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.

Milan had qualified for the group stages of this season's Europa League after finishing sixth in Serie A.

Uefa said the club, which spent £200m on transfers last summer after a takeover, breached rules around requirements for clubs to break even.

Milan said they would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Before the verdict, Milan released a video on Twitter saying they expected "fairness, rulings based on facts and equal rules for all" from Uefa.

The statement said the club are "ready to pay for the errors made in the past" and "have the utmost respect for the rules, but we expect equality".

On Wednesday the club added: "AC Milan has instructed its legal team to appeal the decision seeking a prompt review of the ruling."

Why did Milan face sanctions?

The Italian club was owned by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi from 1986 until it was sold to a Chinese consortium for 740m euros (£648m) in April 2017.

The club then went on a £200m spending spree in the summer, bringing in Leonardo Bonucci from Juventus for £35.1m and Andre Silva from FC Porto for £33.6m. It was the first time since 2002 the club had broken the £30m barrier for a player.

Uefa referred the case to its adjudicatory body to make a ruling as it said there "remained uncertainties" following an investigation into the Serie A club's financial affairs.

The "uncertainties" were said to relate to the refinancing of a loan due to be paid back in October 2018.

Uefa's financial fair play rules were brought in to stop clubs running up huge debts, and they can be punished if they spend more money than they earn.

Sanctions for breaching the rules range from warnings and reprimands to points deductions and transfer embargoes.

What did the club say?

Milan said the 2017 summer spending spree "renovated the squad, putting together the youngest side in Serie A".

"We invested more than 200m euros to open a new cycle," the statement added. "One year later, the value of the investment is unchanged and the market value of the squad is the third in Serie A.

The club says the first team's salaries are below 60% of revenues "thanks to investments mainly targeted on young players with a view to the future.

Milan also say the club are on course to meet the targets set in their business plan presented to Uefa, have made investments in the training ground, will field a women's team next season, have adhered to B-team initiatives and will participate in the next Lega Pro season with their Under-21 side.

"We immediately focused to ensure greater efficiency to our organisation, to manage the club in an upstanding, transparent and responsible way," the statement said.

"We lowered the operating costs by 6m euros. Our majority shareholder increased the capital over the course of a year by 88m euros (not loans), raising the value of the club's assets. The club is actually aiming for a more stable and thriving asset.

"All of these facts are inspired by a single mantra: working for the future of Milan, a valuable asset to the world of football.

French PM,Chinese premier attend entrepreneurs symposium

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 21:59:00 +0000

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) and his visiting French counterpart Edouard Philippe attend a symposium that gathered executives from more than 30 Chinese and French enterprises in Beijing, capital of China, June 25, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his visiting French counterpart Edouard Philippe attended a symposium Monday that gathered executives from more than 30 Chinese and French enterprises.

The two leaders listened to speeches by representatives of the entrepreneurs and talked with them. The entrepreneurs come from manufacture, energy, finance and other industries.

Li said the two countries' enterprises have cooperated for a long time and enjoy great development potential.

"China will open its door even wider to the outside world," Li stressed, adding that this will safeguard and promote the free trade system and provide opportunities to companies worldwide.

"French enterprises are welcome to seize the opportunity and extend their cooperation with China," the Chinese premier said.

Li said China would "open its arms" to welcome deeper cooperation with the French enterprises in high technology.

"China will strictly protect intellectual property rights and will never allow forced technology transfer," Li said. "China will expand the scale of personnel exchange with foreign countries, and provide more convenience for foreign business travelers to China, including those from France."

Li said he belives that the two governments will address concerns raised by enterprises and make it possible for smoother cooperation in a wider range of areas.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his visiting French counterpart Edouard Philippe attend a symposium that gathered executives from more than 30 Chinese and French enterprises in Beijing, capital of China, June 25, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Philippe said the French side is pleased with the achievements made by Chinese and French enterprises in their cooperation.

France supports frank and sincere discussion which serves to find solutions and push forward cooperation, he said.

The French PM said his country welcomes more investment from China, expressing the hope that businesses of the two countries will open new fields of cooperation with medium and small-sized enterprises playing a bigger role.

11-year-old boy possibly world's tallest teenager

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 21:16:00 +0000

An 11-year-old boy in Leshan, Sichuan Province who stands 2.06m could be the tallest child in the world.

The 6th grader, identified as Xiaoyu by Chengdu Economic Daily, was born to tall parents. His father is over 1.8m and his mother is over 1.9m. The boy has been noticed by several local basketball coaches. However, his flat feet have kept him from a promising career.

Xiaoyu has received several surgeries on both his feet and his grandmother Wu Mei is hoping he could be cured of this condition so he can play basketball.

Xiaoyu is conflicted about his own height. He wants to keep growing to set a new Guinness World Record but also wants to live a normal life where he doesn't always bump his head and get stared at.

Kevin Bradford from the United States is the former holder of the Guinness World Record for tallest teenager. He measured 2.159m when he was 16 years old. By its own definition, the Guinness World Record rendered it out of date after Bradford turned 18.

Wu Mei says they will help Xiaoyu apply for a new record if her grandson wishes to do so.

Defending champions Germany knocked out of World Cup after shock loss to Korea

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 21:00:00 +0000

Defending world champions Germany crashed out of the World Cup after a shock 2-0 loss to South Korea on Wednesday, courtesy of two stoppage-time goals.

Sweden beat Mexico 3-0, but both teams qualify for the knockout stages.

South Korea’s Kim Young-gwon scored in added time following a video review and Son Heung-min added another goal just before the final whistle.

The four-time winners, who had not been eliminated in a World Cup first round since 1938, were a shadow of their once dominant selves, managing only two goals in their three group games.

“At the moment it is hard to say (why we have been eliminated). The disappointment of us being eliminated is just huge. We didn’t deserve to be winning the World Cup once again, we didn’t deserve to move into the Round of 16,’‘ said German coach Joachim Low after the Korea defeat.

Germany lost the opening game 0-1 to Mexico, and dramatically beat Sweden 2-1 in stoppage time for the second game.

To qualify for the knockout stage, Germany needed to win by two or more goals or better Sweden’s result against Mexico in the other Group F game being played at the same time. They could also have gone through with a draw, if the Sweden-Mexico game had also ended in a draw.

Innovation makes China stand out in rice technology

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 20:06:00 +0000

China’s remarkable progress in rice technology is driven by innovation, it being only one part of a broader picture of success.

Renowned Chinese agricultural scientist Yuan Longping and his research team's experiment of planting saltwater-tolerant rice in desert areas of Dubai proved to be a success, with one type of rice yielding more than 7.5 tons per hectare.

It was the world's first successful case of planting rice in a tropical desert area. According to the cooperation plan, the rice is scheduled to cover more than 10 percent of the United Arab Emirates. The rice will not only raise the country’s capability to feed itself, but will also improve the local environment.

The Chinese rice technology was widely applauded by media in both the Middle East and around the world.

The “Chinese rice miracle” has become a global phenomenon. Last year, China’s two-meter high “giant rice” made headlines in many media outlets. Hybrid rice, which is a global record holder in terms of its yield per hectare, also amazed the world.

“Who will feed the world in the 21st century?” a U.S. researcher with the Worldwatch Institute asked 22 years ago. The answer to that question seems very obvious now.

China is not only increasing rice yields steadily, but is also making breakthroughs in agricultural technologies. Take hybrid rice as an example, the rice has not only fed 70 million people in China, but has also been introduced in India, Vietnam and the Philippines among other countries and regions, now being grown on a large scale.

Last year, the yield of sea rice per hectare reached 415 kilograms in China. It’s estimated that if sea rice is planted on around six million hectares of land, its yield of 30 billion kilograms of rice per mu (0.07 hectare) could feed 80 million people.

How could a little rice seed make China stand out? It is technology innovation that spurs agricultural progress. The story of Chinese rice going global is also a story of Chinese technologies going abroad.

For instance, in Dubai, Chinese technologies enable the water and fertilizers to automatically reach the roots of rice plants while the unabsorbed water fertilizers that seep out of the soil will be directed for recycling. The smart irrigation system can control the amount of water and fertilizer based on the demand of soil conditions and other factors.

Technological innovation has made impossibilities become possible one by one.

China’s progress and development has surprised the world in a good way, with the little rice seed as just one example. Other cases include the launch of Huiyan, or Insight, China's first space satellite, the takeoff of the large homegrown passenger plane C919, the successful development of the quantum computer and the sea trials of China’s first homemade aircraft carrier.

From running after other countries to finding itself ahead in the race, China has changed its role in developing edge-cutting technologies. Emerging technology could make China the world’s next innovation superpower, The Hill of the U.S. said.

The essence of innovation-driven development is talent. Chinese scientists, including Qian Xuesen, Deng Jiaxian, Yuan Longping and Tu Youyou, have made great contributions to not only China but also the world, and used positive energy to improve the well-being of mankind.

IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS: Rwanda tells Europeans Arsenal sponsorship "none of their business

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 05:04:00 +0000

Rwanda has defended its multi-million dollar deal to sponsor the Arsenal soccer team, telling politicians from European donor countries it is “none of their business.”

Britain’s Mail on Sunday said Rwanda paid the London club $40 million to have Arsenal players wear the “Visit Rwanda” tourist board logo on one sleeve.

Some politicians in Britain, the Netherlands and other donor countries criticised the decision by an African nation that received more than $1 billion in foreign aid and development assistance in 2016. But Rwandan foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe said the money came from tourism income, not aid, and hit back at European lawmakers.

People are talking about aid from UK, we have even MPs (Members of

Parliament) from other countries like Netherlands, Switzerland questioning that.

“People are talking about aid from UK, we have even MPs (Members of Parliament) from other countries like Netherlands, Switzerland questioning that. First of all, for those other MPs it is none of their business, I repeat it is none of their business, Rwanda wants to promote our tourism and taking a very few percentage of the money we received already for tourism it’s really common sense,” he added.

A sports shop attendant in Kigali,Nayila Musabyimana said the deal has proved lucrative for her business.

But also thinks that the deal “will make people come visit Rwanda.

“Since the announcement of agreements between the RDB (Rwanda Development Board) and the Arsenal team, people have come in large numbers to buy the Arsenal jerseys, especially those for the 2018-2019 season and our stocks are exhausted. Even those who don’t support Arsenal have been buying the jerseys,” she said.

Tourism is the biggest foreign exchange earner in the East African nation. And the foreign minister said he hoped revenues from the sector would double from more than $400 million last year to $800 million by 2024.

“We were jealous when we heard this Arsenal sponsorship with such money. Everyone is wondering why this money has been paid elsewhere while it should strengthen our football, we have many institutions like MTN and other big companies which should step up and do the same. The Rwanda Development Board must also look into helping local football teams and sponsoring them,” said Sotel Kayumba, Kigali FC Captain.

U.N. figures show more than 60 percent of people live under the poverty line in Rwanda, a country of 12 million where 800,000 people were killed in a genocide in 1994.

Arsenal declined to confirm the value of the sponsorship deal but said Rwanda had “transformed itself dramatically in recent times and is now regarded as one of the most advanced and respected countries in Africa”.

RUSSIA World Cup 2018: Nigeria eliminated by late Argentina strike

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 04:47:00 +0000

Argentina and Lionel Messi progressed to the last 16 of the World Cup by the skin of their teeth on Tuesday after an 86th minute strike from defender Marcos Rojo gave them a 2-1 win over Nigeria, eliminating the African side.

Croatia advance as winners of Group D with the maximum nine points after beating Iceland 2-1 and Nigeria were just minutes away from joining them before central defender Rojo superbly volleyed home a Gabriel Mercado cross from the right.

Messi had put Argentina ahead in the 14th minute, with a fabulously taken goal but the Africans equalised through a Victor Moses penalty in the 51st minute and the twice World Cup winners struggled to respond to that setback with a ragged second half display.

How the game unfolded

In front of a massive following of passionate and loud Argentine fans, the game began in ideal fashion for Jorge Sampaoli’s side, who had managed just a point from their opening two games.

A perfectly weighted diagonal ball over the top by Ever Banega was sublimely brought down on the outside of his thigh by Messi who then drove past Nigeria’s teenage keeper Francis Uzoho to open the scoring.

The selection of Banega proved to be an inspired one by Sampaoli with the Sevilla midfielder providing the quality service that had been lacking in their opening two games.

Banega almost inspired a second goal for the Argentines when he put Angel Di Maria clear, the winger being brought down by Leon Balogun and Messi struck the woodwork from the resulting free kick with a curler from the left against the far post.

It had been an impressive half from Argentina but the game was to take a twist shortly after the interval.

Nigeria dominates second half

Defending a corner, Argentine defender Javier Mascherano jockeyed Leon Balogun inside the area and when the Nigerian fell to the floor, Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir awarded a penalty.

After lengthy and impassioned protests from the Argentine players, Moses managed to keep his cool and slot past Franco Armani to level the scores.

Nigeria wasted several chances to add a second and secure their place in the last 16 before the unlikely source of Manchester United central defender Rojo kept Argentina’s tournament alive and left Nigeria in despair.

Argentina go on to face France in the next round while Croatia take on Denmark.

Africa’s chances of making an impression at the World Cup now lie with Senegal who play against Colombia on Thursday. Senegal needs a draw to qualify.

Russia 2018 World Cup: Egypt coach is fired following disappointing World Cup campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 04:33:00 +0000

Egypt’s national football coach, Hector Cuper has been relieved of his duties by the country’s football association, following the unsuccessful campaign at the World Cup in Russia.

Egypt finished bottom of Group A with zero points after losing all three of its games, 0-1 to Uruguay, 1-3 to Russia and 1-2 to Saudi Arabia. The Pharaohs who did not play with star player Mohamed Salah in their opening game were consequently eliminated, extending their winless record at the World Cup.

Salah’s shoulder injury had dominated the build-up to the tournament, with the team struggling to win any of their warm up games. Salah scored Egypt’s two goals at the World Cup.

We appreciate the work from the coach, from reaching the Africa Cup of Nations after three years of absence and taking Egypt to the World Cup after 28 years of absence.

Argentine Cuper, 62, who would have been out of contract after the World Cup, had hinted that the Saudi Arabia game on Monday could be his last game in charge of the record African champions.

“I have never excluded anything. It might be my last game and it might not. It will depend on a number of factors,” Cuper, who was named Egypt coach in 2015.

EFA decides to part ways with Cuper

Speaking after the Saudi Arabia loss, he said he would “see what will happen” ahead of a meeting with the Egypt Football Association (EFA).

The EFA said: “We held a meeting after returning from Russia and the entire board decided to say thank you to Cuper and his technical staff.

“We appreciate the work from the coach, from reaching the Africa Cup of Nations after three years of absence and taking Egypt to the World Cup after 28 years of absence.”

EFA also insisted that Salah is happy with the national team and management after media reports suggested he might quit international football for political reasons.

PABLO ZABALETA:we still have chance to go through to the last 16 by beating Nigeria - but I am not sure it will happen.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 12:04:00 +0000

The happiest I saw Lionel Messi when I played alongside him for Argentina was in 2012 - he scored a hat-trick against Brazil in New York, and he played the whole game with freedom and a smile on his face.

His body language was completely the opposite before the Croatia game on Thursday. To see Leo looking so stressed and unhappy at this World Cup was a real worry.

He is my friend as well as my former team-mate and I felt really sorry for him. It is very unusual to see him like that, but it was a sign of what was going on in his head.

At times like this, there is a huge pressure on him because people expect too much, and for him to do everything for the national team.

I was not surprised he struggled, in what was a disastrous defeat for us. As a player myself, I know that if you go into a game and you don't really enjoy it then it is very difficult to play well.

It was not just Leo, though, it was a poor performance by the whole team. We are very lucky that we still have chance to go through to the last 16 by beating Nigeria on Tuesday - but I am not sure it will happen.

We will have to perform much better than we have done in our first two games and show the right attitude and much more desire.

Football is a collective game and everyone needs to improve - not just Messi.

This time, Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli has to set up with the right formation and the right players, and follow a plan.

Mascherano is the leader, Messi brings calmness, Aguero brings the music'

I have been there with this Argentina team when things have been going well - and when they haven't - and I know what the build-up will be like.

Sergio Aguero will make sure the right music is there for everyone. We always listen to cumbia, a traditional Argentine music, before the game.

It is similar to reggaeton because it brings happiness and the players love it, especially in the dressing room. That was what worked for us in Brazil at the 2014 World Cup.

In the dressing room, Javier Mascherano is the real leader. He is the one who is making the noise and speaking to everyone. But Leo brings calmness.

Leo is quiet and a person who does not talk much - but, of course, he is Messi.

Whenever I looked around the Argentina dressing room before a game, I always had the confidence I had the best player in the world on my team.

On Tuesday, in the moments before the game against Nigeria, the young players in the Argentina squad who are at their first World Cup will need to know they can follow these guys.

'Losing three finals in four years has been tough for that team'

I think it is getting harder for Leo to play for Argentina. He turned 31 on Sunday so he is getting older and sometimes, mentally, you can feel tired as well.

Part of that is down to his history with Argentina. This team has lost the past three finals they have played - the 2014 World Cup and the Copa America in 2015 and 2016.

In Argentina, that is not enough. For some people, and for parts of the media, you have to win - just reaching the final is not acceptable.

So losing three finals in four years has been tough mentally and psychologically for everyone in that team, especially Leo.

It is hard when people in your country treat you like a loser. They see him winning trophies every season with Barcelona - so they expect him to do exactly the same in the national team.

'Messi - always the main player, and the main man

Like England, Argentina is a country that loves football so much and sometimes we cross the line in the way we treat our star players.

Big football countries have a massive passion and they expect the players to win and perform well. This is normal, but the big players feel it the most.

Leo gets criticised when he does not play well, but when he is not around - like when he briefly retired from international football in 2016 - there are people calling for him to come back.

As his team-mate, I can say without any doubts that we have always been a better team when he has been there.

And those who say he does not perform for his country like he does for his club are wrong. When I played in the Argentina team with him, he was always the main player and the main man.

I am sure he will be on Tuesday - because this could be his last chance.

'A time for unity - players and manager'

Along with Messi and Mascherano, my old Manchester City team-mate Nicolas Otamendi is part of the spine of the Argentina team, and is in control of the back four.

Those three will play a crucial role with their quality and experience, but Sampaoli must find a system that works.

I have not spoken to any of the Argentina players but I have heard the reports that the players wanted to get rid of him.

The formation he used against Croatia, a 3-4-3, was one he had used successfully with Chile, but it did not seem to suit the characteristics of our players.

He was working with a 4-3-3 before the World Cup, with only one defensive midfielder, but the day before the Iceland game he changed to play with two, even though we knew they would defend very deep.

Sampaoli also makes a lot of changes to his teams as well as his tactics, and even from the outside I can see how that would affect the atmosphere around the squad.

But now is the time for unity and I think they all need to sit down together - players and manager - because this kind of situation is normal in football in tough moments after bad results.

The players can listen to the manager - and they should also be able to express themselves about what they do not like from him.

If that happens, the players could really turn up on Tuesday. They have to if they really want to go through.

Nigeria's Davido dedicates BET win to Africa-US collaboration, condoles with D'Banj

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 05:02:00 +0000

Nigerian pop star Davido won Best International Act on Sunday at the BET Awards and urged greater collaborations between US and African musicians.

The BET Awards, established by Black Entertainment Television to recognize the best in African American culture, maintains an international category for black music from outside the United States.

Davido, 25, thanked his listeners in Nigeria and said that Africa as a continent “has been so blessed.

I’m telling you guys, come to Africa, eat the food, wear the clothes,” he told the audience full of African American A-list celebrities.

Other nominees were South African hip-hop producer Cassper Nyovest and house music innovators Distruction Boyz from South Africa along with Kinshasa-born singer and guitarist Fally Ipupa and Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage.

“Let’s collaborate, everybody. Let’s collaborate, man,” Davido said.

Davido, the US-educated son of a wealthy business mogul, is one of the leading forces in the Afrobeats movement that has swept the continent’s music scene.

Nigerian stars mourn death of D’Banj’s son

Davido also took time to send out condolences to D’Banj over the loss of his son. Daniel Oyebanjo III, the one year old son of Nigerian Afrobeat star Daniel Oyebanjo popurlarly known as D’Banj drowned to death on Sunday at his father’s ikoyi lagos residence in Nigeria.

Portugal progressed to the World Cup knockout stages after drawing with Iran in a game full of VAR controversy.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 02:42:00 +0000

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty for Portugal and was shown a yellow card after a lengthy VAR review for a possible red card.

Iran scored a late penalty, given after another video review, and almost snatched a winner in stoppage time which would have seen them not only go through at Portugal's expense but also top the group, with Spain held to a 2-2 draw by Morocco.

Ricardo Quaresma had put Portugal in front with a sensational goal at the end of the first half.

The late Iran penalty denied the European champions top spot in the group and means they play Uruguay in Sochi in the last 16 on Saturday, rather than Group A runners-up Russia.

What a night for VAR

VAR has been a major talking point in the 2018 World Cup but the final matches in Group B provided its most controversial night so far.

The controversy began with the awarding of Portugal's penalty, which was eventually saved by Iran goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand, diving to his left to deny Ronaldo.

The Real Madrid striker had gone down under the challenge of Iran's Saeid Ezatolahi and, after originally waving away appeals, Enrique Caceres rightly reversed his decision and awarded the spot-kick after checking VAR.

The game became heated after that decision with both sides asking for further reviews, but its next use again involved Ronaldo.

Attempting to get in front of Morteza Pouraliganji, Ronaldo appeared to catch the Iranian in the face with a flailing arm.

After a lengthy stoppage while he watched replays on the VAR pitch-side TV monitor, the referee deemed it only worthy of a yellow card.

But perhaps the most controversial decision came in second-half stoppage-time and resulted in Iran's penalty.

Iran played a deep cross towards Sardar Azmoun and from close range his knock-down hit the outstretched arm of Portugal defender Cedric Soares, who was jumping to head the ball.

Again the referee took his time in making a decision and once again changed his original call, ultimately choosing to award a penalty.

BBC pundit Alan Shearer described the decision to award Iran's late penalty as "shambolic".

"How on earth can he think that is a penalty?" the former England captain added. "If he thinks it is deliberate handball, he is crazy.

"There is no way on earth that is deliberate handball. It turns the game into an absolute farce."

Iran's Portuguese manager Carlos Queiroz, who managed his country at the 2010 World Cup, suggested the referee chose not to send off Ronaldo because of the forward's high profile.

"In the rules, an elbow is a red card, it doesn't matter if it's Lionel Messi or Ronaldo," he said.

But Portugal manager coach Fernando Santos played down the incident.

"I wasn't concerned [about Ronaldo]," he said.

"It seemed like a normal thing in the match and the referee did what he had to do.

"I think the VAR did its job and that's what we have to accept.

Portugal had been frustrated for 44 minutes in the first half by a well-organised Iran who also looked dangerous on the break.

But the game's first goal came with a piece of magic from the boot of former Chelsea loanee Quaresma in the 45th minute.

The winger cut in from the right flank, played a one-two with a team-mate, and then curled a right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area into the far top corner with the outside of his boot.

Play in the second half was repeatedly broken up by fouls, VAR incidents and strong protests in response to tackles from both sides.

Querioz had to be spoken to by the referee both for encroaching on the pitch and for his complaints at the referee's decisions.

Even after Karim Ansarifard had scored Iran's controversial penalty, winger Mehdi Taremi could have won the game with a chance in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but he hit the side-netting with his effort from inside the penalty box.

Aside from his penalty miss, Ronaldo had few chances on goal, with his best effort a shot straight at the Iranian goalkeeper in the third minute.

The blank means he remains on four goals for the tournament, one behind England striker Harry Kane, who leads the race for the Golden Boot.

Man of the match - Ricardo Quaresma.

Portugal have progressed from the group stage of the World Cup for the fourth time in their history (also 1966, 2006 and 2010).
Iran have been eliminated from the group stage at the World Cup in all five tournaments they've competed in (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014 and 2018).
Both of Iran's goals at the 2018 World Cup were scored in injury time (94:06 against Morocco, 92:48 against Portugal).
Portugal's Ricardo Quaresma (34y 272d) is the oldest player to score on his first World Cup start since Yahya Golmohammadi (35y 84d), who did so for Iran in 2006 against Mexico.
Iran are the second Asian nation in World Cup history to have won their first match at a World Cup but be eliminated at the group stage, after South Korea in 2006.
Two of the three penalties Cristiano Ronaldo has taken at World Cups for Portugal have been against Iran - he scored in 2006 but saw his effort saved in this game.
Cristiano Ronaldo has a 50% penalty success rate in major tournaments for Portugal, scoring two (against Iran and Spain at the World Cups in 2006 and 2018 respectively) but also failing with two (against Austria at Euro 2016 and Iran today).
Iran remain winless in eight World Cup matches against European opposition (D2 L6).
Iran's goal - scored after 92 minutes and 48 seconds - was the latest goal Portugal have ever conceded at the World Cup.
Portugal have never lost a World Cup match when they've scored first.

Donald Trump criticise Harley-Davidson for decision over tariffs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 02:16:00 +0000

The US president tweeted he was surprised that the company had become "the first to wave the white flag", adding: "I fought hard for them.

Harley-Davidson earlier said making bikes for the European market would be transferred to other countries.

The EU tariffs are a response to new US duties on steel and aluminium imports.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders also told reporters at a briefing on Monday that the EU was "attempting to punish US workers with unfair and discriminatory trade policies".

"President Trump will continue to push for free, fair and reciprocal trade, in hopes that the EU will join us," Ms Sanders said.

Wisconsin-based Harley-Davidson said the increased costs from the EU tariffs were a "substantial" burden and a threat to its international sales, which it has been trying to expand.

The company has assembly plants in Australia, Brazil, India and Thailand as well as in the US.

Absorbing costs of EU tariffs

Harley-Davidson said it would raise investment in its international plants, though it did not say which ones, adding that it expected the increase in production to take nine to 18 months.

It said the tariffs would add, on average, $2,200 (£1,660) to each bike exported to Europe from the US as the import tax increases from 6% to 31%.

The company, which sold nearly 40,000 motorcycles in Europe last year, said it planned to absorb those costs rather than pass them on to customers and risk damaging sales.

Harley-Davidson's move is one of the most visible consequences of the trade disputes triggered by President Trump's decision to levy tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.

Mr Trump says the duties are necessary to protect the US steel and aluminium industries, which are vital to national security.

They have drawn retaliation from the EU, Canada, Mexico, India and others while driving up the cost of metals for manufacturers in the US.

US companies that range from boat-builders to nail manufacturers have warned about the consequences of escalating trade tensions.

Zimbabwe Poll 'to Proceed Despite Attack'

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 24 Jun 2018 11:28:00 +0000

Zimbabwe election to 'to go ahead as planned' after blast.

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa says elections will go ahead as planned on 30 July, despite what he said was an attempt on his life on Saturday.

Forty-one people were injured in the blast at a rally in the city of Bulawayo, which occurred close to Mr Mnangagwa as he was leaving the stage.

Officials said security arrangements would be reviewed.

The vote is the first since Robert Mugabe was ousted and Mr Mnangagwa has vowed they will be peaceful.

Mr Mnangagwa said Saturday's explosion happened when an object "exploded a few inches away from me - but it is not my time".

He said the violence was senseless and appealed for unity.

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa also condemned the attack, saying any political violence was "totally unacceptable".

Those hurt included two vice-presidents, the Zanu-PF party chairwoman, members of a state TV crew and security personnel.

The president was in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city and an opposition stronghold, to campaign for his Zanu-PF party ahead of the July election.

He is favourite to win the poll, but analysts say he also has enemies - both for overthrowing his former mentor, Robert Mugabe, and for being a previous enforcer of the Mugabe regime.

The elections are the first in Zimbabwe since Mr Mugabe was forced out after 37 years in power, and the first to be monitored by international observers since 2002.

Mr Mnangagwa has said the vote will be free and fair.

Campaigning has been dominated by economic issues.

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has survived an apparent bomb attack at a rally in the city of Bulawayo.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 24 Jun 2018 10:59:00 +0000

says he was 'inches' from Bulawayo explosion.

Mr Mnangagwa said an object "exploded a few inches away from me - but it is not my time".

Video footage from White City Stadium shows an explosion happening close to Mr Mnangagwa as he leaves the stage after addressing supporters.

Health Minister David Parirenyatwa said 15 people were injured, three of them seriously.

The exact number of people hurt by the blast remains unclear - and reports suggest it may be significantly higher.

The president was in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city and an opposition stronghold, to campaign for his Zanu-PF party ahead of nationwide elections taking place on 30 July.

He is favourite to win the poll, but analysts say he also has enemies - both for overthrowing his former mentor, Robert Mugabe, and for being a previous enforcer of the Mugabe regime.

A spokesman for Mr Mnangagwa said that while the president was unhurt, Vice-President Kembo Mohadi suffered a leg injury. Another vice-president, Constantino Chiwenga, received bruises to his face.

Other officials, including Zanu-PF party chairwoman Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, were also injured, as were some crew members from state broadcaster ZBC and security personnel.

Mr Mnangagwa, 75, said he had visited the injured in hospital. He condemned the violence as senseless and pleaded for unity.

"I am used to these attempts," he told state media.

Russia 2018 World Cup: Serbia chief accuses Fifa of 'brutal robbery' after Swiss defeat

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 24 Jun 2018 00:17:00 +0000

The head of the Serbian Football Association has accused governing body Fifa of showing bias against his country at the World Cup in Russia.

Slavisa Kokeza says Serbia were victims of a "brutal robbery" during Friday's loss to Switzerland, accusing Fifa of "directing" officials to work against them.

"We will send a protest to Fifa today," Kokeza told the BBC on Saturday.

A Fifa spokesman confirmed a letter of protest had been received but that no further comment would be made.

Kokeza was unhappy a German referee had been appointed for a game involving Switzerland, claiming the move influenced some decisions, most notably the failure of the match official and video assistant referee (VAR) to award a penalty when Aleksandar Mitrovic was wrestled to the ground by two Swiss players.

I do not think this is only about VAR, but that the whole thing was directed by the people who appoint referees," Kokeza said.

"We all know too well that more than half of Switzerland's population is German.

"Technical staff, players, people in Serbia, they are all disappointed and frustrated because of injustice some people at Fifa came up with."

Asked how he wanted Fifa to respond, he replied: "It is clear to Europe and the world that Serbia was brutally robbed. I do not expect Fifa to take action in order for this brutal robbery not to happen again, because, I repeat, it was all directed."

Kokeza also criticised the 'double eagle' celebration given by Switzerland's two ethnic Albanian goalscorers during Friday's match, describing the actions as "scandalous and shameful.

Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri made the gesture, which is a nationalist symbol representing the double-headed eagle on Albania's national flag.

Both players' families are from Kosovo, where a Serbian crackdown on the Albanian population only ended with Nato military intervention in 1999.

Shaqiri also wears boots displaying the Swiss flag on one heel and the Kosovan flag on the other.

"It deserves to be condemned by the whole football world," Kokeza added. "It was not the only provocation by the Swiss players. One sufficient detail was the football boots of one of their players - the boots had a flag of a non-existing country displayed on them.

"We expect Fifa to impose sanctions against the players who acted against rules of Fifa and fair play, as well as against the national association of the country they play for."

Fifa confirmed on Saturday that disciplinary proceedings had been openedagainst Xhaka and Shaqiri, as well as the Serbian FA for the conduct of their fans, and Serbia head coach Mladen Krstajic for alleged statements made in the aftermath.

Saudi women are officially allowed to drive, after a decades-old ban ended at midnight local time (21:00 GMT).

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 23:35:00 +0000

Saudi Arabia's ban on women driving officially ends.

The change was announced last September and Saudi Arabia issued the first licences to women earlier this month.

It was the only country left in the world where women could not drive and families had to hire private chauffeurs for female relatives.

However the move comes amid an intensified crackdown on activists who campaigned for the right to drive.

At least eight women's rights activists are being detained and could face trial in a counter-terrorism court and long prison sentences for their activism, human rights group Amnesty says.

They include Loujain al-Hathloul, a well-known figure in the campaign for women's driving rights.

Amnesty has also called for wider reforms in Saudi Arabia, where women remain subject to male guardianship laws.

Human rights groups in the kingdom have campaigned for years to allow women to drive.

Dozens of women were arrested for driving in Riyadh in 1990 and some Saudi women began posting videos of themselves at the wheel in 2008 and between 2011 and 2014.

In this conservative kingdom, it is a landmark day. For Saudi women it has been a long time coming.

Now they are free to drive, but they are still not free to travel, marry, divorce or even leave prison without the permission of a male relative.

And as women hit the road, some of the leading activists - who fought hardest for this - are behind bars. They were arrested last month and are accused of treason.

One Saudi human rights campaigner said that lifting the driving ban while detaining these pioneering women was shameful and heart-breaking.

The authorities here are keen to get maximum mileage from this reform, and have allowed foreign journalists in to report on it. But critics say the changes taking place here still amount to baby steps.

On 5 June, 10 women became the first female licence-holders after swapping their foreign licences for Saudi ones in cities across the country.

The Saudi authorities previously said they expected about 2,000 women to have received licences by the time the ban was lifted.

However some Saudi men have expressed their dissatisfaction with the change, using an Arabic hashtag on social media that translates as "You won't drive.

The lifting of the driving ban is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's programme to modernise some aspects of Saudi society.

He has spearheaded the Vision 2030 programme to diversify the economy away from oil and open up Saudi society.

But there are still limits on what Saudi women can do.

Lesotho Group Petitions Queen Elizabeth to get back SA land

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 14:30:00 +0000

A group from Lesotho, which calls itself the 'Basotho Petitioners', has petitioned Britain's Queen Elizabeth to demand the return of land in South Africa.

They claim the land is "rightfully" theirs.

The group's co-ordinator Mpho Serobanyane, said the petition was handed over to the British Embassy in Pretoria last Tuesday. A response has not yet been received.

"The petition is all about the readjustment request for Lesotho boundaries. That is all we are requesting for her majesty Queen Elizabeth to do for the Basotho.

Bloemfontein convention

He said they submitted the petition because the British monarchy had authorised the land distribution in 1854 during the Orange River convention, which is also known as the Bloemfontein convention.

The convention was one whereby the British formally recognised the independence of 'the Boers' in the area between the Orange and Vaal rivers.

This resulted in the formation of the independent Boer Republic of the Orange Free State.

"What we know is that the petition will be handed over to their high commissioner, who will take it to Queen Elizabeth," Serobanyane said.

He added that, if they did not receive any response, they would engage with British Foreign Minister Boris Johnston.

Serobanyane added that they had also asked about conducting a presentation of their petition to the queen, to explain their documentation to her.

'Only Queen Elizabeth can undo'

"If [she] finds that our petition is not applicable, we therefore have everything documented that will guide and give light as to what our intentions are, and how we are going to deal with the readjustments of the boundaries," he added.

Serobanyane said land that historically belonged to them was in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

"In KwaZulu-Natal, there was a part of the land which in Sesotho, was called 'Ha/Kobo'...According to the map done in 1910, in Free State you will see that our boundary goes as far as Botswana," he said.

Serobanyane reiterated that only the queen could undo colonial borders.

He said the group was happy about the "positive" support they had had with Basotho citizens after they had approached people via social media and radio to support their petition.

"Not a political matter"

Serobanyane explained that the group had not engaged with the governments of Lesotho and South Africa because they did not want to make the matter a "political" issue as it would divide the Basotho.

"This is an issue of the nation at large, the person we think should engage with the South African government should be Queen Elizabeth, because we have directed our petition to her since it was the Britain Monarchy that in 1854 gave South Africa right over our boundaries," he said.

"It is up to the queen and the commonwealth to engage with SA regarding our petition. We have also given a copy of our petition to the UN and the European Union as well."

British High Commission spokesperson Isabel Potgieter confirmed it had received the petition.

However, she said the issues of boundaries were not for the British government.

"Issues around territorial borders are for the governments of Lesotho and South Africa. However, the petition has been passed to London, where it has been noted," Potgieter said.

"No formal correspondence"

Rural Development and Land Reform spokesperson Moses Rannditsheni said they had not received any form of correspondence from the group and were therefore not in a position to comment further.

As a department, we have not received any correspondence from the Basotho petitioners and, as such, we are not in a position to make any reaction. We will attend to their claims only after we have received formal correspondence from them," Rannditsheni said.

President Buhari mourns Sule Gaya

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 23:25:00 +0000

President Muhammadu Buhari says the death of Sarkin Fadan Kano, Alhaji Sule Gaya, has robbed the country of one of its humblest and dedicated parliamentarians.

The president’s condolence message is contained in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Friday.

According to Buhari, one of the greatest legacies a man or woman can leave behind is his/her unblemished integrity, adding that the late Sarkin Fada of Kano was a remarkable man in his own right.

Buhari, who described the late Sarkin Fadan Kano as a pride to his family and State, said Gaya did not only live to the ripe age of 107 years but also lived an exemplary life of integrity and dedicated public service record.

He stated that the late Gaya belonged to the golden age of decent and respectable democratic representation.

Buhari believed that the best tribute the children of the deceased could pay to the centenarian was to live by his examples of humility, honesty and dedication to public service.

While extending his condolences to the family, the Kano Emirate, the government and the people of Kano State, the president prayed to Allah to bless and forgive the gentle soul of the deceased.

Super Eagles on fire: Odegbami

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 22:59:00 +0000

The Vikings of Iceland that held Argentina to a draw in the first game of Group D in the FIFA World Cup in Russia, will have it tougher with Nigeria’s Super Eagles in the crunch match starting at 4pm today.

Chief Segun Odegbami, former I am in Volgograd. I have just finished watching the final chapter of an unfolding drama in Group D of the World Cup. It is curtains for Argentina, because I do not see how they will survive their last match against Nigeria.

“It was a rare privilege earlier this evening when, at the instance of Amaju Pinnick, I was given the rare privilege to address members of the Super Eagles at their dinner table, the only person to do so on the eve of their greatest challenge when they confront the Vikings of Iceland with all the pent up ‘anger’, energy, determination and motivation from the Croatian match.

“It was a spirit lifting meeting that we had. I simply reminded them of their responsibility to ensure that they displayed the full version of the Nigerian do-or-die spirit. I reminded them also about their responsibility to the ordinary Nigerian on the street that is with them unconditionally foŕ as long as they give their best. I reminded them of their assured place in history if they could rise above the disappointment of their first match, win tomorrow and convert this moment of their greatest challenge into the moment of their greatest triumph.

“I gave them the good wishes of all Nigerians and prayed with them for favour from the elements. It was a small contribution to their already bulging enthusiasm and confidence.

“I saw their spirit. They will fight like they have never fought before. When we parted to go and watch the Argentinian match on TV, both my Head and my Heart were in sync about expectations tomorrow – Iceland are in trouble”Nigeria international, who held a pep talk with the Nigerian team in Volgograd on Thursday said made the prediction in a post on Facebook.

Super Eagles will fight, said Odegbami about his impressions of the team that lost to Croatia 2-0.