28042019 - No delaying minimum wage, go ahead and pay, FG tells MDAs, states, others

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46 — SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 28, 2019 Kuffour, the toughest defender I ever faced, says Okocha *Revealed how God saved him from Bundesliga coach By John Egbokhan FORMER Super Ea gle’s talismanic midfielder has said that as a player, he didn’t want to release the ball to his teammates because he felt he could do no wrong with it. Okocha also admitted that his Bundesliga career with Eintracht Frankfurt would have come to an abrupt end had he not scored against Oliver Khan after dribbling no fewer than five defenders and the former German goal Keeper Ṫhe 1994 African Cup of Nations winner also revealed that African defenders were the most difficult opponents he ever faced during his illustrious career that saw him play at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in USA. Speaking in an exhaustive interview with reporters at the Bundesliga Star- Times Legends Tour in Lagos, Okocha said that he was his biggest foe when in control of the ball. “As a player I did not want to pass the ball to anyone but my coaches in the Bundesliga taught me how to play for the good of the team. I always felt very comfortable with the ball. When with it, I believed that nobody could stop me. I knew I was gifted with the ball and could do anything with it. I was my biggest opponent. I never believed anybody could take the ball away from me, but I was made to release later that it was about the team, not the individual”. On his famous goal against Oliver Khan, Okocha said it was as a result of his desire to prove a point for being benched in that game. According to the former Bolton captain, “it was not planned but it was meant to be. I was on the bench on that day and upset not to be selected. So when I was called upon to go in, I wanted to prove a big point. I was patient enough to have held the ball for that long because when I tried to shoot at goal, one defender would come and I would just move my leg and another would come, prompting me to step away again until I eventually scored. Our manager then said that had I missed that scoring chance that I would not have played again, so God rescued me from his threat”. Dwelling on the toughest opponents he faced, Okocha said that former Ghanaian and Bayern Munich defender, Ossei Kuffour would rank high in this list. “I realised at a very young age that I had a gift to do special things with the ball. My biggest opponent was me. I knew I was in charge when with the ball. But on the toughest defenders I faced, I would say that my African brothers were the ones. “ We have the same mentality and thought the same way. Ossei Kuffour was the toughest of them all. There was a game that he kept following and marking me and I asked him, “O boy, take it easy, look at the way you are breathing down on my neck” and he replied that “sorry I got work to do”. “He brought out the best in me” added Okocha. U17 AFCON: Cameroon, Guinea battle for crown NEW kings of the Total U17 Africa Cup of Nations will be crowned today when Cameroon and Guinea meet in the decisive match at the National Stadium, Dar e Salaam. Cameroon go into the game as favorites having beaten Guinea 2-0 earlier in a Group B opening fixture at Chamazi Stadium, leaving Guinea with a lot to do to seek their revenge in the final. The Junior Sylis of Guinea reached their first final ever after beating Nigeria 10-9 on penalties, whilst 10-man Cameroon snatched a similar victory, 4-3 on penalties against Angola to go through their second final. Cameroon had won the title once in 2003. The interesting thing about the final is that, Guinea have lost only once in this tournament and it was against their fellow finalists, Cameroon. Guinea trainer, Mohamed Camera insists that, it is their chance to revenge and they have worked hard to make sure they take the trophy back home. “It doesn’t matter how many times we will wait for it, but our desire is to take our revenge on Cameroon. We lost to them in the opening game but this time we are not afraid, we want to show our superiority,” he said. “As a young coach I am really emotionally involved with this game. It is amazing to be in the final. My boys are happy to achieve this and will fight to be champions,” he added. Guinea captain, Bah Algassime said; “We are very happy to be in the final. We are focused and concentrated on the game. We appreciate the big support we are getting out there and we are going to look for a win to show our gratitude to the fans.” On the other hand, Cameroon coach, Thomas Libiih has said his ambition is to win the trophy and that will happen if they take the game serious and fight hard to win. Les Lionceaux will be missing the services of Fabrice Ndzie, who was sent off in the semis clash with Angola. “I won several trophies as a player so this will not be a big surprise for me. However what we need to know is that every coach has ambition to win trophies, and we have worked hard for it. We wish to have wonderful moment tomorrow and beat Guinea to lift the trophy,” he said. Cameroon midfielder, Nassourou Ben Hamed said; “This is the equal chance game but we are not going to take our opponents lite. Our motivation and desire is to win this trophy and we are ready for that. We know that we are going to achieve our motive of becoming new champions.” *As Eaglets crash again, lose bronze medal match to Angola Nigeria finished out side the medals’ zone after losing 1-2 to Angola in the third place match of the 13th Africa U17 Cup of Nations in Tanzania on Saturday. The Golden Eaglets however kept their ticket to the FIFA U17 World Cup in Brazil. The technical crew of the five–time world champions must be quite worried how the Eaglets’ scorecard showed a steady decline in the tournament. First they narrowly edged a nine-goal thriller (against Tanzania); won by a goal from the spot (against Angola); came *Okocha from behind to draw (against Uganda); lost on penalty shoot-out (against Guinea) and; then lost in regulation time (against Angola). It is an unflattering output at a continental championship for a country that has won the world title five times, and the team has, sincerely, not done enough to justify the support of the Nigeria Football Federation and the confidence of Nigerian ball fans. It was always going to end this way for a team that wastes opportunities without blinking, and despite creating another basketful of chances, and playing against a team with one man down Manu Garba, Eaglet's coach for 34 minutes (after Porfirio Abrantes got a second yellow card), the Manu Garba-tutored team led failed to make hay. Cameroon and Guinea will contest today’s final in Dar es Salaam. Between Soldiers and Footballers AFEW days ago I posted this “Chukwu must not die. Enugu government, NFF, and Femi Otedola rally round him. Many more support are expected,” on my Facebook wall. The crux of the post is that the Enugu State government, Nigeria Football Federation, NFF and oil magnate, Femi Otedola have rallied round him, to do what? To help save his life. As a result, a friend and colleague, Yomi Idowu who read it, reminded me that Emmanuel Okala, one time first choice goalkeeper of the senior national team, the Green Eagles as they were then known, was equally ill and should be assisted. I shared his post on my Facebook wall and since then my wall has been bombarded with various comments as if I committed any offence by bringing Okala’s health situation to people’s awareness. I want to ask, if Chukwu could be assisted, why not Okala? Both men brought honour to Nigeria and played in the same team. In a team, there must be a captain and that was what Chukwu was. His role as a defender was not greater than Okala’s as a goalkeeper. It mustn’t be NFF or the government of Okala’s home State that must always help but good spirited Nigerians whom God has blessed. God blesses people to be able to help others and not to keep it for themselves alone. Do foreigners who donate to the course of Nigerians have any obligation to do so? No. They are humans and feel touched to help because they love their neighbours as themselves as God demanded of us all. When in 2016 our Olympic football team were stranded in the US and were at risk of missing their opening match, it took the benevolence of an American airline to fly them to Brazil early enough to play the game which they still won. The dexterity of the players who put all the inconveniences and jetlag behind them to still win the match against Japan overwhelmed a Japanese billionaire, Dr. Katsuya Takasu who donated the sum of $390,000 to the players and their coach to share. Rather than commend the donor, a minister who should hide his face in shame for bringing disgrace to the country bt abandoning the team, first wanted to know why the money was routed through Samson Siasia, the team’s coach rather than through his office. He added another shameful dimension, querying the source of the money, alluding to the fact that it might be drug money. The comments, most of which were quite unsavoury, condemned the ‘special’ treatment always given to sportsmen, especially footballers, whom they said were paid during their playing days and deserve nothing from the government again. Majority pointed to soldiers whom they say risk their lives protecting the country, policemen who battle men of the underworld every day to enable us sleep well at night and move about freely at day time without molestation but don’t get such assistance. These critics were right in their comments as it concerns the right of the soldiers and policemen as well as other Nigerians who work for the development of Nigeria. But the similarities end there as sports people, particularly footballers in this circumstance, are not employees of the government but volunteers who answered national call to serve their fatherland. While the soldiers, policemen and civil servants are all employees of government on full salaries with other attachments like medical, transports, feeding, leave and inconvenience allowances, footballers are entitled to only match bonuses and camping allowances. The allowances of the government workers mentioned above are paid monthly for 12 months for the duration of their service which maybe up to 35 years. This is in addition to the gratuity they collect when they retire and the pension they collect monthly till they answer the final call by God. What do the sports people or footballers get and for how long? Many people forget that the actual competitive life span of every sports man or woman doesn’t last beyond 10 years. And during this 10 years, they don’t compete monthly but seasonally. In the life of a gifted footballer who God keeps fit always for instance, he may only attend two World Cups and five Africa Nations Cup in his 10 years as an active footballer. Compare his bonuses and camp allowances in those competitions to what the government worker earns every month for 12 months in 35 years and you will see that they footballers should be commended for their service to fatherland. The reason Nigeians complain about the allowance footballers earn is because it is always in foreign currency. But even at that, it is nothing compared to what the government worker earns and continues to earn till he passes on. So Nigerians should stop comparing our sports men and women who do not only bring happiness and joy to our homes but are better image launderers for our country than all the politicians put together. So still on helping people at critical moments of their lives, it doesn’t have to be Chukwu or Okala, if a neighbour has a life threatening ailment and we are in a position to assist, let us do it, if not for the individual’s sake, then for God so that He will continue to bless us. If we keep saying because somebody worked and was paid his or her salary or even gratuity and therefore should live with his pain and die, then we are not being humane and the call for citizens to be patriotic always will be a waste of time. Thoughts like these as well as the fact that the country doesn’t care for her citizens account partially for why individuals steal the country blind, hoping to cater for themselves and their families in critical times when no one will care after serving their country. May God touch our hearts so that we could be guided by what was written in the Holy Book which tells us in Mark 12:31: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ It concluded by advising us that “There is no commandment greater than these.”
Drop Iwobi bring in Saka, Gunners fans tell Emery *Lowe AS Arsenal face Le icester City today in their bid for a top four finish, the Gunners fans have called on coach Unai Emery to drop Alex Iwobi and bring in Bukayo Saka. Up and coming Saka helped the Arsenal B team to a comfortable 3-0 win over Leicester City at the Emirates. The 17-year-old led the Gunners to a ninth match unbeaten with a breathtaking performance that left the Foxes reeling after just ten minutes. Saka has already trained with Unai Emery’s first team squad and made four appearances, including a first start in a Europa League group stage win over Qarabag. His exploits in the youth set-up certainly haven’t got unnoticed this season either. The Arsenal U23 boss Freddie Ljungberg said: “Bukayo is very, very good. I said it from the beginning of the season. I had him when he was 15 and I have him again, which is a pleasure. “He’s a kid that’s humble, he works really hard every day in training, sometimes with the first team and sometimes with us. He just needs to keep on working. His time will come. “The only thing we have to look at, sometimes, is that he’s only 17.” And fans responding to a tweet by Arsenal academy called on Emery to drop Iwobi and draft in Saka for their game against Leicester at the Fox Stadium, claiming that the youngster was better than Iwobi. La Liga more than football league -- Sid Lowe By Ben Efe TOP Spanish football writer, Sid Lowe said football in that country is much more than a sport. Lowe who was in Lagos to give insight on his experience with the Spanish League, told listening Nigerian sports journalists and analyst yesterday that the LaLiga is one of the best leagues in the world and according to him, it was more than football and everything about Spanish history and culture. “When you are reporting Solskjaer gets massive boost for clash against Chelsea M ANCHESTER United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed a massive injury boost ahead of the crucial fixture against Chelsea this afternoon at Old Trafford. The Red Devils face the Blues at Old Trafford in a huge game in the battle to finish in the top four in the Premier League this season. With the hosts three points behind Chelsea, it’s very much a mustwin game for them and Solskjaer has confirmed that Herrera could return after recovering from a hamstring injury, having been out of action since the win against Watford at Old Trafford March 30. “I would think so yeah,” Solskjaer said when asked if he could feature. “Ander has been training, he is enthusiastic and probably be involved on Sunday, can’t guarantee but he’s trained the last two days.” The Spaniard’s return is a huge boost for Solskjaer’s side, with United having a much better win percentage with him in the side. Since Solskjaer took over in December, United have not lost in the Premier League when Herrera has started a game, winning eight and drawing one, while they have lost four of the nine games when he hasn’t featured, winning just four and drawing one. United have seen their top four hopes hit in recent weeks, with defeats against Everton and Manchester City this week leaving them facing an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League next season. But victory against the Blues could change things, with United set to face bottom side Huddersfield Town and relegation-threatened Cardiff City in their final two fixtures. the league, it is not only about football. It is about everything in Spain. “The Clubs are deeply infused into the communities and they are very important social and cultural institutions,” said British born Lowe. He disclosed that he went to Spain to study but ended up becoming a Spanish Football expert, adding that it was the arrival of David Beckham in Spain in 1997 that further reinforced his interest reporting the LaLiga. “I had to be an interpreter to David Beckham. And also the local press relied on me to give more information about him and other English players.” He added that competition in the LaLiga was heating up and the smaller clubs are catching up with powerhouse like Barcelona and Real Madrid. Neymar’s dream to play with Hazard will come true — Zidane REAL Madrid boss Zine dine Zidane says that Neymar’s dream of playing alongside Eden Hazard could come true at the Santiago Bernabeu amid rumours of a mass influx of big stars set to arrive in the Spanish capital this summer. Los Blancos have endured a dreadful season by their own high standards, with a failure to adequately replace Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal threat cited as big part of Madrid *Neymar *Iwobi and Saka *Solskjaer falling away in La Liga and being dumped out of the Champions League by Ajax. Reports have suggested that Zidane will have a massive budget to spend on a summer rebuild, with the likes of Hazard, Neymar, Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe all being linked with big-money moves to Madrid – and Zizou himself has done little to quiet those rumblings. When asked if Neymar could realise his wish of featuring in the same side as Hazard in *Hazard Spain, Zidane told a press conference: “Yes. A lot of players want to come here and play for Real Madrid, but let’s see what happens in the future. “Will I have plenty of power to decide on transfers and signings? No. I’m not even the boss in my own home! There are people here who are very important to the club that help make decisions and we want to make those together. “The idea is to empower the attacking line for next season. Let’s see what we can do.” Refusing to let the Hazard conversation lie, journalists pushed Zidane for an answer on whether Hazard could fit in a side with Gareth Bale as rumours continue to swirl that the Welsh winger would be on the move in the summer. “Yes!” again was the French boss’ answer. “All the good players can play together. People told me that I wasn’t compatible with [fellow World Cup winner, Yuri] Djorkaeff. What a lot of nonsense, man!” SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 28, 2019 — 47 Bright Star, Oshogbo Utd clash in Emeka Anyaoku U-16 Cup final THIS afternoon at the Campus Mini Stadium Ajele, Lagos, Oshogbo United and Bright Star FC of Lagos will slug it out in the final of the 2019 Emeka Anyaoku Cup for Under- 16. To reach the final, Bright Star dismissed Igbaja Babes from Kwara State, while Oshogbo United defeated Dogo Boys from Kano State in the semi-final decided at the Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos. The competition in honour of the 85-year-old former Commonwealth Secretary-General has been running for 12 years and it is an avenue for national coaches to discover young talents that will represent the country at international soccer tournaments. It is sponsored by Ibeto group of companies, organized and staged by the National Youth Soccer Association. Fear of relegation grips Leicester players AFEAR of plummeting down the Premier League table is a motivating factor for Leicester City as they clash with Arsenal in today’s English Premier League match at the Fox Stadium. According to Leicester left back, Ben Chilwell the match is must win for the 2015 EPL champions, if they are to escape the drop with three games to go. “There’s loads still to play for,” Chilwell told Sky Sports. “Throughout the whole season, the thought has been in the back of our heads to try to finish seventh and, while the last three games we have now are all difficult, we are definitely within reach. “And we can drop down a lot of places if we don’t perform. “So there’s no feeling of the end of the season for us, or maybe thinking about holidays. We know how im Klopp backs Salah for golden boot award *Salah and Coach Klopp JURGEN Klopp says well and that is why we are Mohamed Salah “has in the situation we are in.” made a big step this season” after his double the third Liverpool player Salah has become only against Huddersfield lifted to score more than 20 Premier League goals in con- him into pole position for the Golden Boot. secutive seasons for the Salah won the award club, after Robbie Fowler with 32 goals last season (1994-95 and 1995-96) and but Klopp believes “it is a Luis Suarez (2012-13 and bigger achievement” for 2013-14) also achieved the the Egyptian to be leading feat. the way again. Victory for Liverpool saw “It’s such an important them move back to the top year for him after a campaign where every shot was 91 points, with a two-point of the Premier League on a goal last season,” Klopp advantage over Manchester City, although the de- told the BBC. “He is being really assessed by people to see if it one game in hand. fending champions have was a one off.” “We have to do our job Salah’s 21st league goal and win the games,” Klopp of the campaign saw him told Sky Sports. “To have take the record for the most 91 points is incredible and goals scored (69) by a Liverpool player in his first because it doesn’t happen we should mark that day 100 games for the club. every year. The Egyptian also moved “The boys have done everything possible to give ahead of team-mate Sadio Mane - who also scored ourselves a chance.” twice against the Terriers - The Reds face the La Liga in the race for the Golden leaders in the first leg of Boot when he slid his second goal past Jonas Lossl semi-final on Wednesday their Champions League late on. and the German was quick “He looked like he wanted to break that record tomours which suggested the to dismiss social media runight because after the second goal it was like ‘me of the season. Brazilian may miss the rest against the rest of the “Do not believe 3% of world’,” added Klopp. what is on social media,” “Thankfully all of the said Klopp. others are doing that as
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