25042021 - B/Haram bandits almost succeeding in their mission CAN president warns

PAGE 30, SUNDAY Vanguard, APRIL 25, 2021
I’m waiting on Eze to say yes to Nigeria,
Rohr reveals
Super Eagles coach
Gernot Rohr has revealed
that he has sent a
message to Crystal Palace
midfielder, Eberechi Eze
*Eze
and was waiting for his
response to play for Nigeria.
Eze was born in England
to Nigerian parents
and has represented the
European country at
the U-20 and U-21 levels
but he is still eligible
to switch his allegiance
to play for the Super Eagles
if he chooses to.
“This is a wonderful
player, Ebere Eze is one
of the best offensive
midfielders I’ve ever
seen in England and I
would like to have him
with us, but you know
that he can also play for
England and already
played for one team in
England,” Rohr said to
Elegbete TV Sports.
“I sent him a message
and in this message, I
showed the interest Nigeria
has to get him in
this team so he replied
and he said he has to think
about it, so this is not the
moment to speak too
much about it.
“There is a process to do,
at first, the boy must accept
and the decision must
come from him (and) from
his parents.
“We cannot tell him he
must come, he must come
himself and if he wants to
come, he has to write a letter.
“In this letter, he has to
write to Fifa that he wants
to switch and to play for
Nigeria, this would be
wonderful, but I know that
we cannot force his decision
and he can only take
it himself.”
CAF Confed Cup: Enyimba must
trample on Pirates in Aba,
says coach
Enyimba of Aba
must win against
visting Orlando Pirates
of South Africa in their
last CAF Confedration
Cup group A game, if
they hope to advance to
the quarter-finals.
Nine-men Enyimba
lost to Al Ahly Benghazi
on Thursday night in
what coach Fatai Osho
Super 6 crash: Edo Queens apologise to govt, fans
Following their poor
outing at the just concluded
Nigeria Women
Football League (NWFL)
Super 6 tournament held
in Ijebu- Ode, Ogun state,
the management, coaches
and players of Edo Queens
FC have apologized to the
State government and
their fans, asking them to
find a place in their hearts
to forgive them.
Head of the technical
crew, Stanley Osazee, said
in an interview with reporters
that “I cannot really
explain what happened
to my players. This is not
the Edo Queens squad that
I know. Firstly we have to
apologize to the State government
and the entire
people of Edo State that we
are sincerely sorry for our
poor performance at the
Super 6 competition.
We ask for forgiveness,
this was not what we expected,
we went into the
competition with a mind
set to win because nobody
goes into competition praying
to lose so as a coach of
the team, I take responsibility
on behalf of my
team”.
He added that “Now that
the tournament is over and
we have seen the lapses
and mistakes, we are going
back home to carry out a
total overhauling of the
team. We promise that
such disappointing outing
will not happen again”.
“We want to particularly
apologize to our big father,
the Deputy Governor
of Edo State
Rt.Hon.Comrade Philip
Shaibu and beg him to forgive
us because we know in
our hearts that we have
disappointed him. He
should not abandon us at
this stage, because this is
the time we need him
most”.
“I want to say that there
is no female team in Nigeria
that enjoys government
support as Edo
Queens. We have the best
welfare package among female
football clubs in the
country but I don’t know
what really went wrong
with my players at this
tournament. Like I keep
saying, in every situation
we give thanks to God. One
thing is sure, Edo Queens
will bounce back big and
better”.
described as a backbreaking
defeat, but Enyimba
now face an uphil
task in the group that is
open to all the teams to
qualify.
Orlando Pirates of
South Africa top the table
on nine points, Benghazi
have seven, Enyimba
six and Entente Setif
five. All four clubs have
a chance of progressing.
The top two finishers
qualify for the quarterfinals
draw on April 30 in
Cairo, where group winners
and runners-up will
be separated.
“Everybody still has a
good chance of qualifying.
And this is why we
must have to go at it on
the last day,” said coach
Osho
“What we need to do
now is to beat Pirates
and see how it goes with
the over venues.”
Caraboa Cup final: No way for Tottenham,
Guadiola vows
Manchester
City
coach, Pep Guardiola
has said there was no
way they will let Tottenham
win today’s Caraboa
Cup final at the Wembly
Stadium.
Guardiola’s side have
won the last three finals
and five of the last seven.
They are also in the hunt
for the Champions League
and Premier League titles.
City have the first leg of
the Champions League
semi-final with Paris St-
Germain looming next
week but Guardiola was
keen to stress that a fourth
straight League Cup win
is important to him.
“We cannot deny the
Mourinho’s sacking shocks Kane
Harry Kane has ad
mitted he was surprised
by Jose Mourinho’s
*Kane and Mourinho
*Shaibu Edo D/Gov.
Champions League is close
and the Premier League is
not over and they are more
important. But we want to
win this competition,”
Guardiola said.
“For Tottenham, it will be
their first title in years and
their commitment will be
incredible and the quality
of their players is extraordinary.”
sacking by Tottenham
and found out it was happening
just minutes before
it was announced.
In comments that appear
to reject reports of a player
revolt against the Portuguese,
the Spurs striker
- one of only a few players
who commented on the
dismissal on social media -
insists he had a “great” relationship
with Mourinho.
Speaking exclusively to
Sky Sports ahead of the
Carabao Cup final today,
Kane who is nursing an
ankle injury and is 50-50
for today’s game said:
“I was surprised (by
Mourinho’s sacking) - I’ll
be totally honest. I came
in that morning and probably
found out 5-10 minutes
before it was announced.
Iheanacho so full of
confidence now, says Ndidi
*Ndidi and Iheanacho
Super Eagles and Le
icester City midfielder,
Wilfred Ndidi has
backed teammate Kelechi
Iheanacho to score
more goals having regained
the confidence
that made him the striker
he was, before joining
the Foxes.
Iheanacho scored
against West Brom on
Thursday and brought
his goal haul so far to 11
goals this season for Leicester
who are in the final of
the FA Cup thanks to a goal
by him in the semi-finals
against Southampton.
“He just can’t stop scoring
at the moment, so I’m
very happy for him,” Ndidi
told LCFC TV.
“Very proud. I just want
him to keep doing the
things and keep scoring to
help the team, so it is good
for us.
“The gaffer also speaks to
us about being confident
with the ball and being
confident about our play.
“It’s just one of those
things where you, as a
player, you just need to
believe in yourself and I
see it in him now. He really
believes in himself now
and the confidence is
there.”
Leicester City will be
home to Crystal Palace on
Monday .
Ronaldo, Dybala in ‘first to
reach’ 100 Juve goals contest
Paulo Dybala has re
vealed that he and
Cristiano Ronaldo are
locked in a battle to become
the first to reach 100
goals for Juventus.
Both men are within
touching distance of reaching
a notable attacking
mark, but have remained
that way for longer than
they would have liked.
Argentina international
Dybala requires just one
more effort to become a
centurion, with Portuguese
superstar Ronaldo
three strikes short of hitting
the same target.
Dybala told Ibai on
Twitch : “Ronaldo and I are
challenging each other to
reach 100 goals with Juventus.
I need only one,
while he still needs three.
“He always wants to
win, even in training, and
if he loses he becomes difficult
to deal with for a few
minutes.”
Dybala has seen his efforts
to reach 100 goals for
Juventus disrupted by
untimely injury setbacks
this season.
*Dybala and Ronaldo
He has also faced fierce
competition for places
amid intense speculation
surrounding his future,
with no extension agreed as
yet to a contract that is due
to expire in 2022.
Ronaldo’s most recent effort
also came in that
game, which the Bianconeri
won 2-1.
Meanwhile coach Andrea
Pirlo has ruled Ronaldo
out of today’s away
game against Fiorentina
“Ronaldo won’t play on
Sunday against Fiorentina
because of flexor muscle
problem. We spoke to him
and his doctor and it was
agreed that he miss the
game.”
Troost-Ekong’s EPL dream comes
true as Watford gain promotion
Super Eagles defender, William Troost-Ekong has ful
filled his dream of playing in the Premier League as
Watford secured promotion with 1-0 win over Millwall
yesterday.
Watford were relegated to the Championship last season
but have secured an immediate return, with Ismaila
Sarr’s penalty kick enough to see off Millwall at Vicarage
Road.
The Hornets have been in superb form in 2021, winning
16 of their 23 Championship matches this calendar year.
Bournemouth’s home defeat to Brentford on Saturday
meant that Watford needed only a draw against Millwall
to secure promotion to the Premier League.
They did better than that, with Sarr’s goal from the penalty
spot — his thirteenth in the Championship this season
— enough to earn Watford their ninth win in eleven games
and a return to the top flight.