12012020 - Northern youths disown critics of Amotekun S/W security outfit

46 — SUNDAY Vanguard, JANUARY 12, 2020
Iheanacho
Moyes wants
change to
handball rules
WEST Ham boss
David Moyes believes
the International
Football Association
Board (IFAB) should be
looking at changing the
handball law.
Moyes made the suggestion
after his side
were denied an injurytime
equaliser against
Sheffield United in their
English Premier League
game.
After falling behind to
Oli McBurnie’s goal at
the start of the second
half, the Hammers
thought they had
snatched a last-gasp draw
when Robert Snodgrass
squeezed a low shot between
a post and goalkeeper
Dean Henderson.
However, the goal was
referred to VAR and replays
showed that the
ball had been headed
against Declan Rice’s
arm from point-blank
range by Blades defender
John Egan in the build
up.
Under the new handball
laws introduced this season,
it was the correct decision.
But Moyes felt the
goal should have stood
while Rice called the decision
“absolutely crazy”.
“We need to try and get
them to change this ruling.
We aren’t comfortable
with it and at the
moment there is a big
campaign to try and
change this ruling.
Moyes
VAR denies Iheanacho as Saints
pay back Leicester
LEICESTER City
suffered another
home stumble in their
bid for Champions
League football next
season as Southampton
erased memories of their
9-0 mauling by the Foxes
in October with a 2-1
victory.
Kelechi Iheanacho
who was introduced in
the second half scored
with a clever back-heel
but was denied by video
assistant referee.
Dennis Praet opened
scoring for Leicester, but
the Saints came back into
the game with a viciously-deflected
Stuart Armstrong
strike. Danny
Ings’ 16th goal of the
season gave the Saints
their fourth Premier
League win in five
games.
For City, it is now backto-back
league defeats at
the King Power Stadium
and only one point from
a possible nine at home
as Brendan Rodgers’
side have faltered of late
in front of their own fans.
Ogu searches for new beginning in
Saudi league
Super Eagles midfielder,
John Ogu said
he is out to make an impact
with his new Saudi
club Al-Adalah FC stay
in the league next season.
Ogu has been without
a club after he quit Israeli
side Hapoel Beer
Sheva 2018. The 31-
year-old signed a six
months contract with the
Saudi side.
“It’s been a long,
tough and crazy six
months, but I want to
quickly put it all behind
me by getting involved
with Al-Adalah immediately,”
he told BBC
Sport.
“To watch others actively
playing on television
at the start of the
season was tough and
now I have a lot of catching
up to do personally
on the football pitch.
“But I’m confident in
my ability and confident
that my body is ready for
the battles and vigorous
games to come.”
Al-Adalah currently lie
in 15th place in the 16-
team league, but Ogu is
determined to help them
stay in the the Saudi Professional
League.
“I promise to give my
all and push through to
help the club remain in
the league next season,”
he added.
“I’ve been here for a
few days and I can see
that the club has everything
to compete against
the best in Saudi.”
Ogu played his last
match for the Super Eagles
in their 2-0 defeat to
Madagascar at the 2019
Africa Cup of Nations in
Egypt. He has two goals
in 24 appearances for
three-time African champions
Nigeria.
Arteta apologises for Aubameyang
red card
ARSENAL manager
Mikel Arteta apologised
to Crystal Palace
midfielder Max Meyer
for the tackle which
earned Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang a red card
in the 1-1 draw at Selhurst
Park.
The Gunners captain,
who opened the scoring
in the 12th minute at
Selhurst Park, was given
his marching orders
with 67 minutes on the
clock.
Aubameyang caught
Meyer high on the ankle
and, although referee
Paul Tierney cautioned
him originally,
VAR upgraded it to a red
card and he will now
serve a three-match
ban.
Arteta said: “I just
watched it. It looked
nasty to be fair. We know
there is no intention to
make such a tackle.
“Hopefully he (Meyer)
hasn’t been injured
and we are sorry for
that. They made a decision
and we have to accept
it.
“It is a massive blow
(to lose Aubameyang).
Ogu
You know how important
Auba is for the team and
we lose him for a couple
of games.”
After a dominant opening
half an hour, Arsenal’s
control of the London
derby waned with
Palace improving before
the break.
Aubameyang gets the marching order
Zidane: I’m better
now than before
ZINEDINE Zidane
believes he is a better
coach now than he
was when he led Real
Madrid to three Champions
League successes.
Zidane returned for a
second spell in charge at
the Santiago Bernabeu
in March 2019, 10
months after departing
the club in the aftermath
of guiding them to a
third successive continental
crown.
His return has not always
been plain sailing
with Madrid ending last
season third in La Liga,
19 points adrift of archrivals
Barcelona while
both Spanish giants -
who are tied atop the table
- have been largely
underwhelming this
term.
And Zidane suggested
he has learned from both
his time away from the
game and the club’s recent,
relative struggles.
He told reporters: “Yes,
I think I’m better. I feel
like I have developed. In
life too, as a person.
“You learn from situations,
from the people
around you. I make sure
to listen to the people
who are alongside me,
and my aim to is to keep
on progressing.”
Suarez faces long injury
lay-off
BARCELONA for
ward Luis Suarez is
set for a lengthy spell on
the sidelines after the
Spanish champions announced
he is to undergo
surgery to treat a knee
problem.
A statement from Barca
on Saturday said Suarez
would be treated for an
injury on the external
meniscus on his right
knee on Sunday by club
doctor Ramon Cugat and
after the procedure the
club would release further
details on when he
will return.
The Uruguay forward,
Suarez
32, has made 23 appearances
for Barca this season
in all competitions,
scoring 14 goals. He
completed 90 minutes in
Barca’s 3-2 defeat by
Atletico Madrid on
Thursday which saw
them exit the Spanish
Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Suarez underwent surgery
on the same knee
last May, which forced
him to miss the Copa del
Rey final defeat to Valencia,
although he recovered
in time to feature
for Uruguay in the Copa
America.
Ibra lifts luckless Milan
ZLATAN Ibrahimovic
scored on his first start
since returning to AC Milan
as his side earned a 2-
0 win away to Cagliari yesterday
to end a threematch
winless run in Serie
A.
The Swede, who joined
the Italian club for a second
time on a free transfer
in December, swept in a finish
on the 64th minute after
Rafael Leao’s deflected
strike broke the deadlock
early in the second half.
Ibrahimovic, who made
his second debut for the
Zidane
club off the bench during
Monday’s 0-0 draw with
Sampdoria, has now
scored a top-flight senior
goal in four different decades.
The result elevates Milan
to eighth place on 25
points ahead of the rest of
the weekend’s fixtures,
after a run of three games
without victory, in which
they failed to score a single
goal. Cagliari have
now suffered four consecutive
league defeats, but
remain in sixth place with
29 points.