01052020 - COVID-19 Job cuts loom, as Buhari falls back on Oronsaye report

Neville
Don’t rush to
reopen EPL,
ex United
player warns
Rushing to resume the 20<strong>19</strong>/
2020 Premier League
se<strong>as</strong>on stalled by the
<strong>COVID</strong>-<strong>19</strong> pandemic could
jeopardise the lives of players and
staff, former Manchester United
defender Gary Neville h<strong>as</strong> said.
English soccer h<strong>as</strong> been
suspended since March 13 due to
the novel coronavirus, which h<strong>as</strong>
led to the deaths of more than
26,000 people in Britain. Still, the
minister responsible for sport h<strong>as</strong>
held talks with the league on
competition returning <strong>as</strong> soon <strong>as</strong>
possible.
“If people are really serious about
putting health first we would not
be discussing football returning at
this moment,” eight-times Premier
League winner Neville told Sky
Sports.
“The minute one member of staff
or player goes into intensive care,
what are they going to do? That’s
the bit on one shoulder telling
them: ‘It’s a risk.’ They really
aren’t sure at this time how to deal
with it.”
Aina praises NFF
over Nigerian-born
players invitation
to Eagles
Super Eagles defender Ola
Aina said the Nigeria
F o o t b a l l
Federation deserves
commendations for
inviting Nigerian-born
overse<strong>as</strong> player to the
national team.
Aina who helped the
Super Eagles to a
bronze medal finish at
the 20<strong>19</strong> Africa Cup of
Nations in Egypt, said
with the inclusion of the
European b<strong>as</strong>ed and
home grown players, the
Super Eagles is perfect
blend of talents
Aina just like
others...Alex Iwobi, William Troost-
Ekong, Tyron Ebuehi, Joe Aribo
and Josh Maja were born in Europe
and despite playing for the youth
teams of their respective adopted
countries, they pledged their
allegiance to the Super Eagles.
Cyriel Dessers is another
European born player who is on
the verge of making his debut for
the Eagles.
“It’s good. Obviously, I commend
the people that work for the
Nigerian Federation to get the
European b<strong>as</strong>ed players, they are
working hard.
“You know our team h<strong>as</strong> quality.
You are seeing these players
playing in Europe b<strong>as</strong>ically,
playing in Holland, France, and
Germany, so you don’t really have
to <strong>as</strong>k questions of players like
that.
Covid-<strong>19</strong> crisis:
PSG crowned
Ligue 1 champions
*No Champions League football for Osimhen
Paris St Germain were
yesterday declared the
French Ligue 1 champions
amid the <strong>COVID</strong>-<strong>19</strong> crisis, French
sports daily L’Equipe reported.
According to the newspaper, the
LFP’s board ratified the
recommendation yesterday
afternoon and effectively hand PSG
their seventh title in the l<strong>as</strong>t eight
years.
The decision would mean that
second-placed Olympique de
Marseille and third-placed Stade
Rennais would be in next se<strong>as</strong>on’s
Champions League with PSG.
Lille, Stade de Reims and Nice
would qualify for the Europa
League.
Amiens and Toulouse would be
relegated with Ligue 2 leaders
Lorient, and second-placed Lend,
promoted to the elite.
French Prime Minister Edouard
Philippe had earlier announced
that the 20<strong>19</strong>-2020 could not be
completed due to the coronavirus
pandemic.
Taking into account the average of
points earned per match played,
Victor Osimhen’s Lille finished
Nigeria Football Federation,
NFF and Super Eagles
coach, Gernot Rohr have
agreed to move forward with the
new contract on the table waiting
for Rohr’s signature.
Rohr disclosed he h<strong>as</strong> studied the
contract and made his observations
and h<strong>as</strong> now, through his lawyer,
informed the NFF on his intentions
to continue.
According to an NFF official,
Rohr’s observations have been
noted and agreed upon by the NFF.
fourth in the final standings with
1.75 points, meaning there would
be no Champions League
football for Osimhen and his
teammates next se<strong>as</strong>on.
The Nigeria international tallied
13 goals in 27 league matches and
had five <strong>as</strong>sists to his name in his
debut se<strong>as</strong>on in France.
Rohr, NFF agree on new
contract terms
Pinnick & Rohr
“I accept because I think that my
mission in Nigeria is not finished
yet,” said Rohr
“I know very well my players. I
know very well the officials. We
are now just like a family, and I
think it is good to continue
especially in this period now
where it is difficult to change, to
travel, to see new people,” he said
an in interview with ESPN.
Rohr noted that he w<strong>as</strong> not
happy with the way the contract
detail w<strong>as</strong> made public.
“I heard like everybody what
w<strong>as</strong> said by President
[Amaju] Pinnick, that I
have to accept to be paid
in naira, and I have to be
resident in Nigeria. I
agree to these two
things, and even I agree
to have a lower salary.
“I am not doing my job
for money. I am doing
my job because I like it.
Because we have built a
team like you know, and
money is not the most
important. But I also
have to look after my
<strong>as</strong>sistants.”
Oboh to reach out to the needy again
Former British and
Commonwealth
Lightheavyweight boxing
champion, Peter Oboh h<strong>as</strong> continued
to surprise residents of Olodi Apapa
area, in Apapa Local Government
Area of Lagos <strong>as</strong> he h<strong>as</strong> planned to
dish out relief materials to them
tomorrow, <strong>as</strong> his own modest way of
making the people cushion the
effects of the long lockdown
occ<strong>as</strong>ioned by the ravaging
coronavirus.
It will be the second time the boxerturned
p<strong>as</strong>tor will be carrying out the
exercise in the area. On April 12, he
gave out food items such <strong>as</strong> rice,
spaghetti, hand sanitizers, among
other things worth hundreds of
thousands of naira to men, women
and children who flocked the
PSG
Comfort Hotel where the sharing
took place under the supervision
of armed mobile policemen who
ensured strict adherence to the
social distancing rule.
Tomorrow’s exercise which
commences 10 a.m, will see the
former boxer distribute lots of food
stuffs and face m<strong>as</strong>ks at same
venue, Comfort Hotel Olodi
Apapa. “I know we can not reach
everyone but the few we can reach
we can create a great melody in
their hearts.” He said the exercise
would commence <strong>as</strong> early <strong>as</strong> 10
a.m.
Oboh who w<strong>as</strong> also the WBA
Inter-Continental champion noted,
“I urge everyone that can save
lives to try to reach out to
somebody, you never can tell what
that would mean to him.”
Premier League bosses are
hoping that the aborted
se<strong>as</strong>on will return <strong>as</strong> soon
<strong>as</strong> June 8.
In a positive stance for runaway
leaders Liverpool, league chiefs
have remained defiant over the
possibility of ending the se<strong>as</strong>on
prematurely despite similar
actions taking place in both the
Netherlands and France.
The update comes after the
emergence of strict guidelines
each club will have to follow when
they call their players in for
training, including social
distancing guidelines and the use
Vanguard, FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020 — 47
Premier League set June
8 come<strong>back</strong>
I’m not <strong>as</strong> old
<strong>as</strong> you think,
Uzoho replies
critics
Super Eagles goalkeeper,
Francis Uzoho h<strong>as</strong>
dismissed speculations
that he is older than the 21 years
he claimed to be.
Uzoho who h<strong>as</strong> recovered from
the injury he suffered during an
international friendly against
Brazil l<strong>as</strong>t year h<strong>as</strong> been a target
of critic with regards to his age
since he made his debut for the
Super Eagles in 2018.
However, the former Golden
Eaglets keeper said it w<strong>as</strong> going
to the gym that made appear older
that his age.
“I w<strong>as</strong> smallish <strong>back</strong> then in 2013
when I participated at the World
Cup with the U17 national team,”
Uzoho told Super Eagles media
in an Instagram chat.
“I later went to Aspire academy
where I learnt a lot. My looks and
body build changed when I started
using the gym and w<strong>as</strong> working
out seriously.
“If a lot of people see my picture
<strong>back</strong> then they won’t even talk
about my age, but I don’t really
bother because they don’t know
me.”
The goalkeeper, who h<strong>as</strong> 14 caps
for Nigeria, w<strong>as</strong> part of Gernot
Rohr’s squad that finished third at
the 20<strong>19</strong> Africa Cup of Nations in
Egypt.
Former Tottenham Hotspur
manager Mauricio
Pochettino h<strong>as</strong> said he
would like another shot at
managing the team within the
next decade so he can try again to
lead them to a trophy.
The Argentine took Spurs to the
Champions League final l<strong>as</strong>t year
but his side were beaten 2-0 by
Liverpool and he w<strong>as</strong> sacked in
November, ending a successful
but silverware-free four-year spell
in charge.
“It w<strong>as</strong> an amazing journey that
finished in a way that no-one
wanted it to finish, but deep in my
chest, my soul and heart I’m sure
our paths will cross again,”
of disinfectant.
In a document seen by Daily Star
Sport, regulations will include all
equipment including footballs,
GPS units, cones, corner flags and
goalposts will need to be
disinfected both before and after
use, and it will have to be done by
staff wearing PPE.
In addition, all players will need
to be tested for both Covid-<strong>19</strong> and
other potential respiratory
problems <strong>as</strong>sociated with the
virus. Players will also have to
wear a snood or a m<strong>as</strong>k at all times
when inside the training ground.
On arrival, players and staff will
need to ensure that cars are parked
a minimum of three spaces apart,
with m<strong>as</strong>sages on the grounds
needing approval from the club
doctor.
Premier League
restart:
Liverpool mayor
fears fans’
reaction if club
win EPL title
Liverpool mayor Joe
Anderson h<strong>as</strong> said
resuming the Premier
League is a “non-starter”, and he
fears a “farcical” situation with
fans congregating outside Anfield
- even if Liverpool clinch the title
at a neutral venue.
“There’s not many people who
would respect what we were
saying and stay away from the
ground, a lot of people would come
to celebrate so I think it’s a nonstarter.”
Asked about whether playing at
a neutral venue would help, he
said: “Even then, I guess that a lot
of people would turn up outside
Anfield to celebrate and I
understand the police’s concerns
around that, so there’s a real
difficulty here for us.
“I think it would be really
difficult for the police to keep
people apart and maintain social
distancing if they were going to
celebrate outside Anfield, it would
be farcical.
“It’s difficult for us to try to stop
people gathering in parks when
the weather h<strong>as</strong> been good,
especially young people. And I
fear people would just ignore it.
Anderson
Pochettino vows to make
Tottenham come <strong>back</strong>
Pochettino told BT Sport.
“From the day I left the club my
dream is one day to be <strong>back</strong> and
try to finish the work we didn’t
finish. It w<strong>as</strong> an amazing journey,
we were so close to winning the
right trophies like the Premier
League and Champions League,
we were very close.”
Pochettino, who also led
Tottenham to four consecutive topfour
finishes and the 2015 League
Cup final, is currently without a
club.
“Now I’m looking forward to
moving on, I’m so motivated for
the next project but of course deep
inside one day I’d like to be <strong>back</strong>,”