The back injury the French defender sustained duringArsenal’s Europa League quarterfinal match against Sporting CP in March prevented him from playing for the club.
He has missed Arsenal’s last five games, and The Athletic reports that he will likely miss the club’s vital Premier League matchup against Manchester City on April 26.
Saliba’s absence could prove to be a huge blow to Arsenal’s title aspirations this season.
Out of the five games that the defender has missed thus far, the Gunners have managed to win only two while three matches ended in draws.
The Gunners have conceded nine goals in the last three Premier League games. They still have a five-point lead at the top, but Manchester City have played two games fewer.
The 22-year-old defender’s lower back injury could worsen if he does not get ample rest and is rushed to the pitch as the injury is linked to serious structural damage and has also affected his lumbar discs, according to The Daily Mail.
The Frenchman is almost certain to miss Wednesday’s Premier League against Manchester City and could also remain out of action on May 2 when Arsenal face Chelsea.
Karim Benzema and Eduardo Camavinga will not travel with Real Madrid on Tuesday’s LaLiga trip to Girona, according to head coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Ancelotti anticipates that the two will be ready again for Los Blancos’ home match against Almeria on Saturday, before they play Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final and Manchester City in their Champions League semifinal.
David Alaba is also expected to return for the Osasuna match on May 6 after missing the 2-0 victory over Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Ancelotti ran through the players he will have missing as his team attempts to close ground on leaders Barcelona.
“Benzema and Camavinga will miss out and [Dani] Ceballos has got accumulated cards,”he said. “Camavinga lasted the game [v Celta] but then he felt some discomfort from a knock. I think they should be available for Almeria.
“[Ferland] Mendy and Alaba won’t be there either. Alaba is recovering well and I don’t think he should be a problem for the Copa del Rey final.”
Elaborating on Benzema’s situation, Ancelotti added: “If he recovers from his knock, he’ll play against Almeria.
“He’s hugely important for us. He’s shown a fantastic level in recent games and you keep that up by playing, not by resting. If he’s fit, he wants to play and that’s what we want as well.”
The gap at the top of LaLiga remains 11 points with eight games to play after Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 on Sunday, and Ancelotti is keen to close that to better reflect what he believes is a true representation of how close the Clasico rivals are.
“If we’re talking about the quality of the two teams, there’s no way there should be 11 points between us, and that’s been clear in the games we’ve played against each other,” he said. “We’re two evenly matched sides and the deficit has come about through small details. We want to cut it down.”
Despite their victory against Celta, there were more concerns about the surface at the Santiago Bernabeu, which has been affected by the ongoing renovations at the famous stadium.
Marco Asensio scored and assisted in the game, but also hit a wayward shot in the second half that appeared to bobble up off the surface, and Ancelotti previously confirmed it will be replaced before they play City on May 9.
“Every team wants to play on a beautiful pitch,” Ancelotti said. “We are aware of the problems we have at the Bernabeu and we won’t complain.
“We’re talking about something which is clear to see, our playing surface is suffering due to the ongoing works and they will fix that as soon as possible.”
Tuchel is reportedly struggling for his job atBayern Munich already. The club’s board is set to make its decision in less than a month whether to let him go or stay following Bayern’s recent struggles.
The former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss returned to his native Germany in March when agreeing to succeed Julian Nagelsmann at the Allianz Arena.
He has, however, found the going tough in Bavaria, with Bayern bowing out of the Champions League to Manchester City and the German Cup at the hands of Freiburg.
The reigning champions have also surrendered top spot in the Bundesliga, with Tuchel overseeing just two wins across his opening seven games in charge.
Bild reports that Bayern bosses are now set to meet on May 22 – five days before the club’s final league game of the season – while making big decisions on coaching and directorial staff.
Oliver Kahn, who currently fills a CEO role in Munich, is another facing uncomfortable questions of his future – but he will not be quitting and would need to be forced out – while sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic could also be offloaded if it is determined that change at the top is required.
Kahn, Salihamidzicand Bayern chairman Herbert Hainer all felt the need to enter the dressing room following Bayern’s disappointing 3-1 defeat to Mainz on Saturday, with Tuchel under pressure a matter of weeks into a contract that is supposed to run until the summer of 2025.
Erik ten Hag has pledged thatManchester United will “do everything” to prevent Manchester City from completing a possible triple when they square off in the FA Cup final.
After defeating Brighton and Hove Albion on penalties on Sunday at Wembley Stadium, United advanced to its record-tying 21st FA Cup final. Solly March missed his spot-kick, but the other 14 were all successful.
After City defeated Sheffield United 3-0 in the semifinals thanks to a hat-trick from Riyad Mahrez, the two Manchester clubs will now square off in a major cup final for the first time on June 3.
With City battling Arsenal in the Premier League title race and being drawn against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals, Pep Guardiola’s team could yet collect three major trophies this term.
Doing so would see them match the famous achievements of United’s 1998-99 side, and Ten Hag knows how much the club’s fanbase would relish denying City.
“I understand, of course, the feelings from the Manchester United fans about it,” the Dutchman said.
“We will do everything to give them that, to give them the second trophy, everything that I have, everything the team have, everything the staff have, we will give everything to get that done.
“We can do it, because we proved it, but it’s not an easy job. It’s a great team, but we’ll also have a great team and great players and we can beat them.
“More than 100 per cent, you can’t do, so the fans can rely on that. We will give it and we will do it against every opponent, it doesn’t matter who it is.
“Of course, we want to give that against City. We want to give the fans that, sure.”
Having beaten Newcastle United to lift the EFL Cup in February, United have reached both domestic cup finals in the same season for just the third time.
However, the Red Devils have never won both trophies in the same campaign, lifting the FA Cup but losing the EFL Cup showpiece game in the 1982-83 and 1993-94 seasons.
Consider the US if you’re seeking for a nation with more opportunities for scholarships.
Consider Canada if you’re seeking for a place where you have a better possibility of obtaining a passport for travel abroad.
If obtaining a scholarship is a key component of your study abroad plans and doing so in Canada seems difficult, you can come up with a smart plan.
Think about going to the US to study, then proceed to applying for Canadian permanent residence from there.
That’s a smart plan.
In the UK, you will easily get an admission if you have your money. A low undergraduate grade will also not be a huge barrier compared to Canada.
And just like the US, and any other country where you have a valid status, you can apply for Canadian permanent residence from UK too.
The requirements to apply for permanent residence from your home country is the same when applying from US/UK/Europe etc, as long as you have a valid status in those other countries
However, processing times may be faster & less cumbersome than applying from developing countries
The additional degree from those other countries will also increase your points for permanent residency in 🇨🇦Canada (if you only have a BSc or less)
You also now have travel experience, better means of raising/showing POF, processing your transcript for credential assessment, etc.
The North Londoners suffered a 5-0 defeat in the first half thanks to goals from Jacob Murphy and summer acquisition Alexander Isak just before Joelinton’s goal.
Following Harry Kane’s goal in the second half, a resounding victory was sealed when Calum Wilson, an English striker who had been on the bench, scored on his first touch.
Danny Rose shares a joke with former teammates Calum Wilson and Kieran Trippier. Photo by Stu Forster. Source: Getty Images
Former Tottenham full-back Danny Rose has been without a club since his contract was mutually terminated at Watford last September, according to Mirror UK.
He was in utter disbelief at the scoreline and berated his former club and some of his former colleagues for putting up such a mediocre performance.
Rose questions Tottenham players
The 32-year-old was on Spurs’ payroll for 14 years and spent a half-season on loan at Newcastle United in 2020. He was part of the Lilywhite’s squad that reached the 2019 UEFA Champions League final.
He bemoaned the many defensive mistakes from Cristian Stellini’s side and questioned how his former side is still viewed as a massive club with such a scandalous performance.
”All I’ve been thinking all first half is how am I unemployed?,” he told Sky Sports.
The Leeds United academy product admitted to not watching football in a long time, including the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, claiming he missed the atmosphere and is up for one more job.
The two-time PFA young player of the year was shipped out of Tottenham last January but was deemed surplus to requirements at Everton, who loaned him to Besiktas.
Besiktas fans booed Alli after he was substituted in the first half of a game, but the 26-year-old professed his love for football which he claimed saved his life.
After an impressive performance in Newcastle United’s annihilation of Tottenham that included one of the seasons best assists, Joe Willock was compared to Ronaldinho and Luka Modric.
The midfielder has been given the nickname “Willockinho” by his Newcastle teammate Bruno Guimaraes, and on Sunday, he more than lived up to it.
In a 6-1 victory, Willock—whom coach Eddie Howe is supporting for an England call-up—created what may have been the game’s most memorable play when he sent Alexander Isak away for the fourth of five goals in the opening twenty-one minutes with a magnificent outside-of-the-boot pass.
That was Willock’s fifth assist in the Premier League this season to go with three goals as one of the key men in a Newcastle team closing on Champions League qualification.
Only Kieran Trippier (five) and Guimaraes (four) created more than Willock’s three chances against Spurs, and the Brazil international was suitably impressed.
Guimaraes told reporters: “Willockinho, with his new hair today… he looked like Ronaldinho and played like him, too.
“An amazing through ball for [Isak’s] goal. What a pass. Only Modric can play a pass like that. It was amazing.”
Newcastle climbed back up to third with the win, now six points ahead of their fifth-placed opponents and still with a game in hand.
With 183 goals for the Reds, the Egyptian attacker has established himself as a fan favourite at Anfield and has now tied Robbie Fowler on the club’s all-time scoring list.
Although he has won several major honours while playing for Merseyside, including thePremier League and Champions League crowns, three Golden Boots, and two PFA Player of the Year awards, he is not always included when people are talking about the world’s top players.
Van Dijk expects that to change in time, with the Dutch defender in awe of what a talented club colleague has achieved.
The Liverpool centre-half has said of Salah: “Most of the players here have contributed to winning big trophies. Mo will definitely be seen as a legend. He’s such an important player.
At a later stage, I think the things he’s done will be appreciated a lot more by the outside world. For us, we appreciate everything he does day in, day out. We see all the hard work that he puts in. He just has to keep it going.”
Salah is already Liverpool’s record goalscorer in the Premier League and has equalled Steven Gerrard’s haul of most strikes for the Reds in European competition.
Salah should continue to rewrite the history books in the years to come, with the 30-year-old frontman having committed to a contract at Liverpool that is due to keep him in his current surroundings until at least the summer of 2025.
The versatile 25-year-old Ainsley Maitland-Niles has declared thathis time at Arsenal has “came to an end,” and he is getting ready to leave this summer.
The Gunners’ renowned academy produced the England international, who spent the 2022–23 season on loan at Southampton after previously serving comparable terms at West Brom and Roma.
He has 132 games for parent club Arsenal and five senior caps for his nation, but as he approaches free agency, he feels the time has come to fully dedicate himself to a challenge outside of north London.
Maitland-Niles has told The Athletic: “It’s been a great journey but it has come to an end now [at Arsenal]. It’s time for a fresh start and to find a new home.
I’m looking forward to that but, at the same time, my head’s not quite there yet and it’s all about what’s happening now with Southampton.
I’m just fully focused on trying to help us stay up and stay positive on a day-to-day basis and win games. When the time gets closer towards the end of the season, I’ll have something else to think about.
But right now, I’m just focused on football and the task at hand. Southampton is a great club to be at and progress and get some minutes under my belt.
Of course, if they were to make an offer, I’ll be more than happy to stay.”
Maitland-Niles will see his contract with Arsenal expire at the end of the season, freeing him to mull over several options when it comes to a next port of call.
Southampton will hope that there is a permanent deal to be done by them, but the Saints are currently stuck at the foot of the Premier League table and have just six games left this season in which to drag themselves out of the relegation zone.
Next Giacomo Raspadori’s 93rd-minute volley that handed Napoli a 1-0 victory in Turin on Sunday, Napoli might be able to clinch the title as early as the next weekend.
With seven games remaining and a 17-point lead over Lazio in second place, the Partenopei, who haven’t won the championship since Diego Maradona’s time, will undoubtedly soon be celebrating.
Spalletti said Napoli would have to “wait to uncork the bottles”, but he only half-heartedly talked down their title celebrations having had his own long wait to this point. The coach is yet to win a league title in his home country.
“I haven’t travelled in the window seat,” he told DAZN. “I’ve always hitch-hiked. The fact that I am in a position to win this Scudetto repays all the sacrifices I’ve made.
For those who always believed. For those who stopped believing.
“Sometimes I was made fun of because of my boots [on the touchline], but I suffered to have those. I remember well when I couldn’t buy them. Since I suffered a few times before, this year I put them on.
“I took a more difficult road than others who start from different levels, and it’s probably right for them, too, because in their careers as players they gained such esteem as to start from a higher level.”
While Raspadori has not quite had the same difficult path as Spalletti, his first season in Naples has also not been straightforward, limited to only nine Serie A starts due to injury.
Sunday’s goal was his second of the season, but it was a big one.
“I am happy because they have shown me that they love me, as they do every day,” the forward said.
“There is never a moment to stand still, it was a difficult moment and I worked to get out of it together with the coaching staff. Now, I’m happy for the goal.”
While somefootball stars, like Lionel Messi, who eventually married Antonella Roccuzzo, were fortunate enough to find their true love before being famous, other football stars, like Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez, chose to maintain their romantic relationships even after becoming well-known.
Then there are many who got married while pursuing their careers and had happy endings, while many others got married but were never truly committed to one other for an extended period of time.
However, even the most well-known football players can’t prevent their marriages from disintegrating.
Divorce is a big topic when it comes to marriage involving athletes and footballers. Let’s take a look at 10 popular football players who divorced and how it ended.
Emmanuel Eboue
He was a famous Arsenal player who in turn went broke after a divorce. He was known to be the funniest player to have ever played football, as he was always entertaining.
He once told the Queen of England if he would be the royal dog walker and also beat players down the wing for Arsenal and Ivory Coast.
He also lost his two close relatives during that period and was also suspended from playing football for failing to pay for his agent. The period was so hard for him that he was even contemplating ending his own life.
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole realised his career peak when he was in Arsenal. He made his name while at Arsenal during the most successful season, 2003-2004, for Arsene Wenger and his men after winning the premier league title unbeaten.
Before an awkward spell at AS Roma in 2010, Cole divorced his wife, Cheryl Ann Tweedy, a famous singer in England.
Unlike other divorced players, Cheryl did not take any money from Ashley, simply because she was richer than him. She also let him keep the $8 million mansion. He allegedly had numerous affairs during the marriage which led to divorce.
Ryan Giggs
He is a legend who played for Manchester United and also became assistant coach for Manchester United. He was extremely loyal to his club all through. However, the loyalty he had for the club did not extend to his family.
Giggs and his wife, Stacey Cooke, seven years divorced in 2017. Giggs paid $52 million after having several affairs including 8 years affair with his brother’s wife, Natasha Lever. This incidence really caught many by surprise as it was not expected of a legend like him.
Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry divorced with his wife, Claire Merry, when he moved from Arsenal to Barcelona, on June 2007. It was a very hard period for him as he was too far from his daughter, Tèa Henry. Henry did admit that it is hard to stay without having kids.
He said that earlier on he just thought of his career and he dedicated all of his time to it and doing his own things.
Henry had a great moment and a great achievement as he won the Champions League and also played with Lionel Messi, who was a youngster when Henry joined the club.
Henry divorced and paid $10 million to his wife after she found text messages in his phone to another woman.
When he finished playing, most of his wealth were no more after he divorced his wife, Aurelie Saha. Saha admits that he lost half of his fortune. After realising this, he started services as he teaches players on how to manage their funds.
Enrique Cerezo,the president of Atletico Madrid, wants to see a LaLiga matchup between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo before both players hang up their boots.
Messi spent 21 years at Barcelona before departing on a free transfer to join Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021. He has been frequently linked with a return to the club.
Prior to playing for Juventus, Manchester United, and the current Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr, Ronaldo spent nine seasons and won numerous trophies with Real Madrid.
While there has been little talk of Ronaldo heading back to the Spanish top flight, Cerezo believes it would benefit the league for the two superstar forwards to return one day.
“It would seem fantastic to me if Messi returned to the league, the same as Cristiano Ronaldo,” he said while attending the Barcelona Open tennis final on Sunday.
“Both are still playing and it would be fantastic if they returned.”
Cerezo was speaking ahead of Atletico’s 1-0 loss to Barcelona, which leaves Diego Simeone’s side 16 points adrift of the leaders and five behind second-place Real Madrid.
Yannick Carrasco played a full part for Atletico, though he may find himself at Barcelona next season as the Catalan giants have the option to sign the versatile wide player.
“Yannick is a very good player, fantastic,” Cerezo said when asked about Carrasco’s future.
“In the world of football, there are people who want to achieve many things and don’t get to, and others who don’t want anything and get it. I don’t know [what will happen next].”
Since switching from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City, Haaland has been on fire, shattering nearly every goal-scoring record in England and, by extension, Europe.
According to Transfermarkt, the Norwegian goal scorer has amassed an incredible 48 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions while also dishing out six assists, underscoring his outstanding play this season.
It thus comes as no surprise that Rooney reckons that Haaland is by far the best footballer on the planet presently.
“Erling Haaland is the best footballer in the world right now. Lionel Messi is the greatest but, at this moment, nobody is playing better than a striker who — even though I broke records in that position myself — takes my breath away with the levels he’s reaching,” the legendary Manchester United forward wrote in his column for The Times via Sportskeeda.
Rooney stressed: “He’s the best in the world because of the numbers he’s posting, the performances he’s putting in and the mentality he shows.”
Ronaldo and Messi era
The pair have shot their way to the top of the ‘greatest of all time’ conversation; no matter who you are, everyone has a preference – winning a combined 12 Ballon d’Or awards.
The 22-year-old will hope to continue his breathtaking goalscoring form for Manchester City as Pep Guardiola’s charges chase the treble, with the club still in contention to win the English Premier League, the Emirates FA Cup and the elusive UEFA Champions League.
Cassano contradicts Rooney, blasts Haaland
While Rooney lauded Haaland, former Real Madrid striker Antonio Cassano has once again stirred up the hornet’s nest, this time training his guns on the Man City striker, Sports Brief reported.
The retired Italian international has claimed that the Manchester City striker does not know how to play football.
Going by Haaland’s numbers this season alone, it seems quite ironic for Cassano to level such a claim, but he insists he prefers strikers like Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema.
Antonio Rudiger has given an explanation for why, despite strong interest from Paris Saint-Germain, he decided to sign with Real Madrid last summer.
When it became clear that Rudiger would not be extending his five-year contract with Chelsea last summer, most European teams, notably Real Madrid and PSG, started to show interest in him.
The 30-year-old was surrounded by French powerhouses, but he already knew which club he would be joining next.
Fast forward, the German defender inked a four-year deal with Los Blancos in June last year, rejecting PSG in the process. When quizzed on his decision to join Madrid amid links to PSG, Rudiger told Canal+Afrique, as quoted by Tribuna:
“There were a lot of rumours when PSG came, it was something I was not looking for.
He continued: “It’s nothing against PSG. It’s a beautiful club. But Real Madrid is Real Madrid. If you want to be on the winning side, you join Real Madrid.”
Since moving to Madrid, Rudiger has already added the UEFA Super Cup to his collection of trophies and could add the Champions League and the Copa del Rey this season after becoming a mainstay in Carlo Ancelotti’s set-up, racking up over 40 appearances under his belt, per Transfermarkt.
Why Rudiger chose Real Madrid
Rudiger also shed light on how Real Madrid president Florentino Perez convinced him to join the Spanish side with a heartwarming gesture seven years ago.
Rudiger suffered an ACL injury in 2016 while at Italian Serie A outfit AS Roma. But while he was recuperating from the injury setback, the unthinkable unfolded right before his eyes when he received a surprise letter from Perez wishing him a speedy recovery.
The heartwarming gesture by Perez startled the former Chelsea centre-half, leaving him convinced he will don the all-white outfit of Los Blancos in the future.
How Rudiger deals with pressure at Madrid
Earlier, Sports Brief reported on how Antonio Rudiger deals with pressure at Real Madrid.
The hard-tackling central defender swapped Chelsea for Madrid last summer, and despite struggling to secure a permanent berth in Carlo Ancelotti’s lineup at the start of the season, he has grown in leaps and bounds.
When quizzed on how he has managed to deal with the ever-demanding nature of the club’s fanbase, the 30-year-old suggested he devised a mechanism that helps him.
Sevilla defeated United 3-0 on Thursday, ensuring United’s elimination from the Europa League at the quarterfinal stage. All three of Sevilla’s goals were mainly attributed to De Gea.
Yet three days later, he made a number of superb saves to deny Brighton, and those saves ultimately helped the game end in penalties.
While De Gea never got particularly close to any of Brighton’s spot-kicks, United did progress to the final thanks to emerging 7-6 victors, with Solly March blazing over before Victor Lindelof sealed the Seagulls’ fate.
United’s collective performance may not have been spectacular but the improvement from Thursday was significant — including De Gea.
“I think he had two brilliant saves and know that he’s a world-class keeper,” Ten Hag said. “Thursday, he had a really bad day at the office, and it hurt.
“Really bad [day in the] office I have seen, but it’s always when you are the keeper and you make mistakes, often you get penalised.
“But it doesn’t mean that we have to go under. And also, we as a team, we let him down [against Sevilla] and we didn’t fight back on Thursday.
“[Criticism] was justified on Thursday but,today, the lads deserve compliments and credit because they bounced back once again, they showed character.
“What we have to learn and improve, which must be our next step, is that if we have a setback in a game, we fight back in that same game, that we keep calm and fight back in that same game.
“We have to deal with setbacks and we can do it better but in between games, and it’s not the first time, we do it very well.”
Manchester City await United in the final, making it the first ever Manchester derby in the FA Cup showpiece.
United will go into the contest as considerable outsiders, though Ten Hag pointed to their 2-1 win in January’s derby as evidence they can defeat Pep Guardiola’s treble-chasers.
“We have proof that we can beat them but then we have to play the perfect game,” Ten Hag continued.
“That was the most perfect game we played this season [winning the derby in January] but we have to go again.
“We know that but, first of all, we have to focus on different games because we have to be in the top four, to get into the Champions League for next season.”
When Arsenal travels to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City on April 26, Martin Odegaard will meet with fellow countryman Erling Haaland.
The outcome is expected to have significant effects on both teams’ chances of winning the championship, making it the season’s most important game.
Although their opponents have played two fewer games than Arsenal, the Gunners’ substantial lead at the top of the table has been reduced to only seven points, making a loss more detrimental overall.
The last time the Gunners won at the Etihad in the Premier League was in December 2015. Manchester City has already beaten them twice this season – once in the FA Cup and in the reverse fixture at the Emirates.
The two main protagonists for the Wednesday clash will be Odegaard and Haaland, who have been exemplary this season. The two are good friends but will have to put that aside for 90 minutes when they meet.
Odegaard’s first impression of Haaland
But before their friendship blossomed, Odegaard’s first impression of Haaland was a negative one. The two first met in 2018 when they were both called up to represent Norway in U-21 competitions.
“You were more like a little (expletive) in the beginning. You were so childish. You have grown up more in the last couple of years. But you saw it in the first (international) camp, in the videos when you dance and sing.
It looks like you are 12 years old and the biggest little (expletive). Honestly,” as quoted by the Mirror.
Odegaard was making these comments during Haaland’s documentary ‘The Big Decision’, where he talked about a couple of things, including his decision to join Manchester City.
The Arsenal skipper also explained how he grew to like Haaland by understanding what his antics meant.
“I don’t think he does thingsbecause he thinks they are really cool. But maybe he wants to get a reaction and maybe be a little funny. I just laugh at him. I do not take it seriously when he does crazy things.”
Haaland has 32 goals in the Premier League, he needs one more to break Mohamed Salah’s record of most goals in a single season. Odegaard, meanwhile, has chipped in with 12 goals and 7 assists.
Rooney tips Haaland to win Ballon d’Or
It was also reported that Wayne Rooney has thrown his weight behind Manchester City striker Erling Haaland to win the 2023 Ballon d’Or award ahead of Lionel Messi.
The man, who will age 71 in June, claims that it was this exposure that resulted in his lifetime of drug addiction.
He claims that when in Europe in 1977, he met a Moroccan woman who introduced him to narcotics and, ever since, his life has been worse.
“The first time I take drug in Europe [it was] through my girlfriend, ebe Moroccan girl… The first time I take drug massa the way the drug take my eye I feel so good, I’m happy,” he said of his first experience, adding that he took the drug for two consecutive days and when he didn’t take it on the third day, “ebe like they put pepper on my body,” he recounted in an interview with Kofi Adoma Nwanwanii.
While still working as a seaman, people paid him between $5,000 – $10,000 to deliver some parcels to other people for them, and on one such occasion, he decided to open the parcel to see what was in it.
“I didn’t know what was in the bags but when I found out, I said to myself ‘so these people they come give me $5,000, $10,000 and they go carry millions of dollars? Ok, next time I will advise myself’.
“So one time they came I took the goods and money and when they left, I opened it and saw several kilos of drugs. Then I went to town, I had a girlfriend who was a prostitute and she connected me to a drug pusher to buy. He asked me how much I had. I had about 5 kilos but I told him one kilo so he took it, tested it, and gave me my money when he confirmed it was pure,” he narrated.
“They opened him up with a knife and cut all his intestines to retrieve several balls of drugs he had swallowed and left the body there.”
To escape a similar fate, Kwabena Josiah left the boat he was working on and found his way back to Ghana.
“They [the people who gave him the drugs to deliver] were looking for me to kill me so I run from the boat, sold the drugs and bought tickets back to Ghana. With the drug money, I built houses and bought cars.”
He built three houses, ones he describes as villas, and bought several vehicles for both private and commercial use.
But to keep satisfying his need for drugs, Kwabena Josiah ended up selling almost all his properties. The only thing he didn’t sell was one of his houses and that was because his wife at the time advised him to rather use it for a long lease.
“Drug life is very expensive… I’ve sold two of my houses… I had a truck, MAN Diesel 10 wheelers taking container from habour, I sold it, I had five 207s I sold all, there were four taxis… I sold all. I lost plenty things.” He recounted.
He said due to his lifestyle, all his important documents including those for the leased property are with family members who can properly take care of them.
In some areas of Mali and the Sahel for more than ten years, there have been rebel groups affiliated withal-Qaeda and ISIL.
The statement didn’t go into additional detail about the attack’s timing or the perpetrators, only stating that the ambush happened in the remote Nara area of Mali’s southwest Koulikoro province.
It further stated that the delegation’s driver was still unaccounted for.
Mali is one of several West African countries battling armed groups during the past decade.
Rebels linked to al-Qaeda and the ISIL (ISIS) armed group have seized swaths of territory across the region, killed thousands and displaced millions.
In January, fourteen Malian soldiers were killed and 11 wounded in two separate attacks in central Mali after their vehicles struck explosive devices.
Frustrations against the authorities’ failure to quell the violence have spurred two military takeovers inMali since 2020.
In 2022, French troops completed a withdrawal from Mali as relations soured between both countries due to two coups and the perceived ineffectiveness of the foreign military in tackling rebel activity.
There have also been growing tensions between the UN mission and Mali’s military government following the alleged arrival of Wagner Group operatives from Russia to bolster government forces.
Considering that Lionel Messi’s contract withParis Saint-Germain expires this summer, a shocking return to Barcelona appears to be imminent.
According to reports, Lionel Messi arrived in Barcelona this weekend with his family and “14 luggage” in tow. Barcelona has been open about their efforts to re-sign the great Argentine this summer at the Nou Camp.
After the conclusion of the current campaign, his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires, and the Ligue 1 powerhouses appear to have given up on negotiations for a new one. Messi sobbed at a tearful farewell to Barcelona in 2021, the year he left the team he had joined for free at the age of 13.
He’s set to win his second Ligue 1 title with PSG as the French side sits nine points clear at top of the table with just six games remaining. But he looks set to depart the Parc des Princes stadium this summer in a sensational return to Barcelona.
Adding to the speculation of an impending return, transfer expert Gerard Romero claims Messi has arrived in Barcelona this weekend. It’s claimed the Argentina international made his trip on a ‘private flight’ and had his family with him while he was ‘hidden in terminal one’.
Messi is also said to have had ’14 suitcases’ with him, further suggesting he has prepared for a full-time return to Barcelona. The purpose of Messi’s visit is not made clear, but his arrival in Spain only adds to the speculation on his future.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has admitted repeatedly over recent months that the club are trying to bring Messi back. “I have to find a way to improve Messi’s current relationship with Barcelona,” he said recently.
Hohoe Municipal Deputy Chief Imam Alhaji Mohammed Abdul Hamidu said the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, abhors LGBTIQA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual plus) behaviour.
According to him, the Qur’an deems such behaviours as abhorrent, hence all Muslims must avoid engaging in them.
Alhaji Hamidu speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after he led prayers at the Hohoe Adabraka English-Arabic Basic School Park to mark this year’s Eid Ul-Fitr celebrations, said the various leaders had been tasked to educate and advise their followers on the practice.
He said the leaders have also been asked to punish appropriately anyone found to indulge in the acts, adding that it had come to their notice that the practice was already in the Municipality, which they would work hard to flush out.
Alhaji Hamidu admonished all celebrants to mark the day in moderation, while urging the youth to continue to be law abiding in activities they carried out.
Eid Ul-Fitr, also called the, “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” is a religious day celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of a month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.
Arne Slot, the manager of Feyenoord, and Jose Mourinho were involved in a misunderstanding on April 20 after Mourinho’s AS Roma team eliminated Feyenoord from the Europa League.
As Mourinho seeks a second Europa League championship, Roma defeated the Netherlands team in extra time to go to the semifinals.
Paulo Dybala’s goal forced extra time, where the Giallorossi added two more goals to further humiliate Feyenoord, saving them from elimination with just two minutes remaining.
The two sides met in the final of the inaugural UEFA Conference League last year, where a Nicolo Zaniolo strike ensured Mourinho continued with his impeccable record in cup finals.
Feyenoord had hoped to exact their revenge over Roma this year, only for Mourinho to better them once again. Before the game, Slot had indicated that he prefers to watch Napoli or Manchester City games compared to Roma’s games.
The comment did not go down well with Mourinho, who is seen in video footage chasing down Slot in the tunnel, demanding to be respected.
“You look at Napoli and Manchester City, but you should be watching us!”
Mourinho will now meet one of his former players when they take on Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in the semifinals. The winner of that tie will play the winner of Sevilla vs Juventus in the final.
Mourinho’s Roma emerged victorious on April 20 thanks to a comprehensive 4-1 victory, albeit via extra time.
It almost looked like Feyenoord had found a late winner in the 80th minute through Igor Paixao, but Paolo Dybala forced the game into extra time with a strike in the dying minutes of the game.
In the shocking report written by a former Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a prominent member of the NPP, has been mentioned in relation to his involvement in illicit mining.
Gabby Otchere-Darko was charged with interfering with the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining’s (IMCIM) activities in the report by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng.
He detailed that at the time, there was a suspension on the issuance of licenses for operation in forest reserves, Mr. Otchere-Darko jumped to the defence of a company that was said to be actively destroying the environment.
Following this development, a tweet from Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko in 2017 popped up with regards to what he said about illegal small-scale mining popularly termed as galamsey.
The president’s cousin was confident that the Akufo-Addo-led government was going to eliminate the canker of galamsey which had destroyed the nation’s water bodies and depleted lands.
The tweet dated April 6, 2017 read; “Posterity shall not forgive Akufo-Addo and our generation if we don’t win the war against galamsey.”
The message generated mixed reactions from Ghanaians. While some lauded the pronouncement and hoped they were not mere words put together, others were of the view that it was only “cheap talk”.
Meanwhile,Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has said he did no wrong in defending a company cited in the bombshell report authored by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.
HMRC filed a bankruptcy case against the former Red Devils defender, who earned £50,000 per week at Old Trafford, on February 27 of this year.
The High Court gave it their blessing on April 12, and this week, The Gazette published the order.
According to rumours, he reportedly divorced his 46-year-old wife Leanne, who was a cast member of the TV series Real Housewives of Cheshire, last year.
The three children’s parents were united in marriage in 2009 at the opulent Peckforton Castle in the Cheshire town of Tarporley.
After putting their property in Prestbury, Cheshire, on the market for £4.5 million six years prior, Wes and Leanne reduced the price to £2.4 million in 2016.
Three years later, Leanne remarked, “Yes, we have a wonderful life and a lot of money, and while the money is nice, when you have it, you live in this bubble. The fans can be wonderful, but they can also be incredibly unkind.
“It must be difficult for football players to live with being praised one minute and despised the next for a poor kick or goal miss.
We are the ones left to clean up the mess and take the brunt of whatever is left over after their careers are through.
“Sometimes being alone a lot is difficult. The guys travel a lot, especially if they play for a prestigious club and represent England internationally.”
Brown is scheduled to participate in a football game next month to support organizations set up in the wake of the Manchester Arena tragedy.
Following the Senegalese forward’s recent problems with the defending Bundesliga winners, Sadio Mane has been pushed to leave Bayern Munich after just one season.
The 31-year-old forward has had a bumpy start to life at Bayern, being dogged by injuries and off-field drama after his altercation with colleague Leroy Sane.
Journalist Nabil Djelitt, according to PSG Talk, has recommended Mane to transfer to Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain this summer in order to escape his nightmares in Germany.
“Sadio Mane is a global brand; it was announced like that, and he is not a player who has a vocation to be on the sidelines. I advise him to go to PSG.”
Djelitt believes the Bundesliga champions haven’t put the Senegalese forward in the proper position to succeed after the German club fell in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
Bayern chief admits error signing Mane
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich sporting director, Hasan Salihamidzic, has admitted that the club should have targeted a centre forward during last summer’s transfer window, Daily Post reports.
Instead of finding a comparable replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who joined Barcelona, the Bundesliga champions signed Mane from Liverpool.
Mane has struggled to find his best form with the Bundesliga giants as the Senegalese forward has scored just 11 goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich this season.
Mane and Sane reunite in training
It was reported that Bayern Munich winger, Sadio Mane returned to training on April 18, after serving a one-game ban for his bust-up with teammate, Leroy Sane.
The former Liverpool icon was axed from Bayern’s first team as part of disciplinary measures taken against him for reportedly punching Sane in the face.
Mane and Sane were involved in a scuffle in the dressing room after a disagreement during their Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last week.
The scenario at the top of the Spanish top flight could only change if Barcelona lost and Madrid kept winning.
Barcelona’s lead was cut to eight points by Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Celta Vigo on Saturday, but the Catalans still had a home match against Atletico Madrid scheduled for the following day.
Were Barcelona to win that, their lead would be back to 11 points with eight rounds of games remaining. Even if Barcelona were to lose, their lead would still be such that they would remain firm title favourites.
Still, Madrid see no reason to give up hope, with goalkeeper Courtois telling broadcaster DAZN: “We are going to fight until the last game, until it is mathematically impossible.”
He said it was “a pity” Madrid had dropped points at times this season but signalled that Champions League commitments can impact on domestic results.
Last season saw Madrid pull off a Champions League and LaLiga double, and they are through to the semi-finals in Europe once again this term, with home and away games against Manchester City coming up in May, plus a Copa del Rey final against Osasuna.
That cup showdown comes on May 6, and Courtois said: “We want to win on the next three matchdays and when the time comes for the cup final, we’ll see how far away we are.
“We want to keep winning and have a good feeling ahead of the Champions League. It’s key that we’re all well. Hopefully we end the season well.”
Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti made five changes to his starting XI, four days on from his team’s 2-0 win at Chelsea that clinched a 4-0 aggregate quarter-final win against his former club in the Champions League.
Marco Asensio, one of those brought in, rifled the opening goal, and his corner set up Eder Militao to head the second.
“Making an XI is complicated, because we are lucky to have a plugged in dressing room,” Ancelotti said. “We must rotate, because this part of the season is very demanding.”
The veteran coach was concerned about the playing surface and said the Santiago Bernabeu pitch “has to improve”, while Ancelotti also paid tribute to the all-action Eduardo Camavinga, thriving at left-back after the 20-year-old was recently switched from midfield.
Camavinga had a team-high 113 touches and completed six of seven dribbles, with both aspects being the most he has achieved in a LaLiga game for Madrid.
“He has extraordinary quality. He has energy and is complete,” said Ancelotti. “As such, he can play any position successfully.”
To the dismay of most supporters who had high hopes for the former Chelsea manager, Bayern lost a 1-0 lead at halftime and collapsed to a 3-1 defeat against Tuchel’s old haunts.
The defeat by Mainz follows a sad Champions League departure for the Bavarians, who were eliminated by Manchester City after losing 4-1 on aggregate over two legs, according to Eurosport.
Tuchel’s latest setback means he has won just two of seven games in charge of FC Hollywood and could move to second place in the Bundesliga if Borussia Dortmund beat Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday evening,BBCreports.
Following the defeat to Mainz, football fans questioned the tactical nous of the 49-year-old, suggesting he is overrated.
How fans reacted to Bayern’s loss
@analysispanel tweeted:
“Massively overrated, he implodes spontaneously.”
@antwigodwin62 added:
“Yes, he is overrated. He does nothing special, He defends all the time.
Another user, @RulixFelix, claimed Tuchel is similar to Frank Lampard:
Although there has been rumour that the 35-year-old will be returning to Barcelona, the two parties have not yet reached an agreement on a new contract.
Also, Messi has been linked to high-profile transfers to teams in Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Paris Saint-Germainare willing to let Lionel Messi exit on a free transfer in the upcoming off-season, reports the Sunday Mirror.
Contract talks between Messi and PSG have stalled in the months following Argentina’s World Cup triumph, having reportedly been close to penning an extension.
The report claims PSG are “in no rush” to extend Messi’s deal as interest, with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi looking to run the club in a more sustainable way, relying less on star power.
The aggressive central defender made the move from Chelsea to Real Madrid last summer, and despite his early-season struggles to earn a spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s starting lineup, he has improved greatly.
According to Transfermarkt, Rudiger has played 42 times for Los Blancos in all competitions and is still a vital member of the team as the season comes to a close.
When quizzed on how he has managed to deal with the ever-demanding nature of the club’s fanbase, the 30-year-old suggested he has devised a mechanism which helps him.
He cited Madrid’s record goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, current club captain Karim Benzema and mercurial midfielder Luka Modric as his source of inspiration when dealing with pressure.
For me, it’s very simple. Because Cristiano got criticized here, Benzema got criticized here, Luka Modrić, all of them” Rudiger said as quoted by MadridXtra.
He added: “Who am I not to get criticized?”
Why Rudiger deliberately makes mistakes
Meanwhile, Rudiger has disclosed he deliberately made mistakes in games last season in order to get the crowd charged, Sports Brief reported.
The 29-year-old was a key figure in Chelsea’s backline underThomas Tuchel and produced a number of masterclass performances as the Blues advanced to two domestic cup finals.
Rudiger, who was a fan favourite with the Chelsea faithful, has admitted that he sometimes deliberately made mistakes to wake up the “quiet” crowd.
Fans hurl objects at Rudiger
It was earlier reported that supporters of Cadiz did not make life easy for Real Madrid following their La Liga encounter last week.
German defender Antonio Rudiger, in particular, found himself in the bad books of the fans, despite gifting one of their own with his shirt after the game.
Cadiz supporters threw objects at the Madrid star after the game, while he went to give one of the fans his match shirt. They also swore at him.
Didier Drogba, a Chelsea stalwart, has advised Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen not to joinParis Saint-Germain this summer, saying the French club is not a place for him to continue playing football.
Given his outstanding performances for Napoli, where he currently leads the goalscoring table, Osimhen has so far this season captivated the hearts of many football fans in Nigeria and Italy.
This has made the former Lille strongman become a target for many clubs most especially him being linked with a move to the Premier League with clubs like Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal said to be interested.
Osimhen on the other hand has not really made his final decision about where to play his game next season as he is currently focusing on helping Napoli win the title.
And to make things sweet, Napoli are in good position to win the league title and Osimhen could also be the first Nigerian to take home the Golden Boot award in the Serie A.
Drogba’s advise to Osimhen
According to the report on Naija Footballer, Drogba who was one of the finest African strikers to have played in the Premier League made it clear that Osimhen should not move to France.
Berbatov wants Osimhen at Man United
It had reported how ahead of the forthcoming summer transfer window, former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov disclosed that he wants to see Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils are also eyeing the Spurs forward Harry Kane, but Berbatov believes that the England striker is already of age.
United are desperate to sign a proven striker and are already making moves to land Kane before the start of the coming season.
The 29-year-old has already notched in over 200 Premier League goals, including 23 this season, but he is yet to win any major trophy in his career.
As the German powerhouses attempt to fight off Borussia Dortmund’s bid for their Bundesliga crown, Nagelsmann was unexpectedly fired by Bayern Munich last month. Thomas Tuchel took his place.
Nagelsmann gained a lot of supporters during his excellent tenures with Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig before guiding Bayern to the Bundesliga championship last season. As a result, Nagelsmann was instantly mentioned as a possible long-term replacement for Graham Potter at Stamford Bridge.
Nagelsmann reportedly held talks with Chelsea over taking the job at the end of the campaign, but widespread reports on Friday suggested he had withdrawn from the running.
Asked about those reports by Sky Sports in Germany, Nagelsmann said: “To cancel something, you have to commit to something.”
Chelsea sit 11th in the Premier League table after failing to win any of their past five games in the competition, their most recent league victory coming against Leicester City under Potter on March 11.
Since appointing Frank Lampard as caretaker manager until the end of the season, Chelsea have lost four successive games across all competitions, a run that saw them eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Nagelsmann could still be set for a move to the Premier League, however, with the 35-year-old being linked with Tottenham as they search for a permanent replacement for Antonio Conte.
He has also been suggested as a potential candidate to take over from Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, though the Italian recently said he has no intention of leaving Los Blancos at the end of the season despite links with Brazil.
After falling down by two goals inside of the first 14 minutes of Friday’s game at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal was forced to settle for a point.
Before halftime, Gabriel Martinelli gave the Saints hope after Carlos Alcaraz had scored one and helped Theo Walcott on another. But, Duje Caleta-Car headed in the third goal for the Saints.
But Martin Odegaard curled in an impressive goal in the 88th minute and Bukayo Saka had Arsenal on level terms in added time to deny the Premier League’s bottom side.
The Gunners have now dropped points in three successive matches, but Arteta was pleased with the way his side fought back against Southampton.
“We made it very difficult again for ourselves – mistakes are part of football, but the way we reacted, I love my players more than ever,” he told Sky Sports.
“It is incredible. We were on the way back, we conceded again with a sloppy goal but in the end we should have won the game.
“We created enough chances and opportunities, but it didn’t happen and we are disappointed.
“You can’t concede three goals in this league. If you concede three like we did in a sloppy way it is very difficult to win matches.
“This young team reacts in a way that is incredible. When it is against the odds but the chances they created and the spirit they had it was a joy to watch.
Arsenal are five points clear of second-place Manchester City, but they have played two games more than their in-form title rivals and travel to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
“It hasn’t changed,” Arteta said. “Obviously the task is even bigger but now we have to do the simple things better and cut out mistakes and then you will win games.
“The [Man City game] is not a final because there are still six games to go. The concern is turning around these moments especially if the players in some moments are in doubt.
“In football you go through moments when you make errors and are not in a good moment but you have to come away from that.
“I have not seen anybody hiding – the opposite. They are willing to do more and more.
“Today is a good example of the level they can show, how capable they are to playagainst a different type of opponent. The spirit is incredible and we have to try and do it again.”
On Friday night against Angers, the Paris Saint-Germain duoLionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe once again united to irreversible effect.
Mbappe’s goal gave the Parisians the lead after just 9 minutes. Following Messi’s magnificent performance, the Frenchman wasted no time in scoring twice just 17 minutes later.
The Argentine sensation picked up the ball from about 40 yards away and was able to provide an exquisite through ball that split the Angers defence.
Mbappe took care of the rest, around the custodian before putting the ball in the back of the net without error.
Mbappe made sure to appreciate Messi’s genius and immediately joined the Argentine in celebration after scoring.
It was Messi’s 15th Ligue 1 assist of the year when he set up Mbappe.
How PSF defeated Angers
Sports Brief reported that Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain took another step towards securing the Ligue 1 title despite an unconvincing performance in beating bottom club Angers 2-1 on Friday.
Mbappe scored the opener in the ninth minute and added another before the half-hour mark to move clear as the French top flight’s leading marksman on 22 goals for the campaign.
It looked likePSG might go on to record a big victory but they eased off in the second half and relegation-bound Angers pulled a goal back late on through Sada Thioub.
Barcelona confident of signing Messi
Sports Brief earlier reported that Barcelona are not just itching to sign Lionel Messi to improve their results on the pitch, but also intend to use his return to Camp Nou to boost the economic growth of the club.
PSG defeated Angers 2-1 in the first half thanks to a pair of goals from Mbappe, moving Les Parisiens one step closer to a record-tying 11th Ligue 1 championship.
Following a lovely pass from Juan Bernat, the 24-year-old scored the opening goal for the visitors after just nine minutes.
He then doubled his tally and PSG’s lead with an even better assist from Lionel Messi, four minutes from the half-hour mark, Sportstar reports
Angers, on the other hand, were rewarded for their persistence with a consolation goal, setting up a nervy finish, but PSG held on to seal the vital win to go nine points clear at the summit of the table, albeit playing one more game than closest rivals, Marseille.
Following the end of the game, Galtier waxed lyrical on Mbappe.
“Kylian is a great competitor,” Galtier told a press conference as quoted by Sportskeeda.
“He [Kylian Mbappe] scores so the team can win. He has this obsession to break records, to always be the first.
There is this championship title but also that of the top scorer in Ligue 1. He’s made like that. He is a competitor. He was born for it, and when he doesn’t score, he feels it.”
Messi and Mbappe’s devastating combo
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe combined to a devastating effect once again against Angers in stunning style on Friday evening, Sports Brief reported.
The Parisians opened the scoring after just 9 minutes thanks to Mbappe. The Frenchman then wasted no time to grab a brace 17 minutes later after a majestic display from Messi.
The Argentine phenom picked the ball up some 40 yards out and managed to provide a sublime through ball that pierced Angers’ backline.
Mbappe urged to join Chelsea
Meanwhile, Sports Brief earlier reported that former France winger Florent Malouda has opened up on his consistent campaign for Kylian Mbappe to join Premier League side Chelsea.
Mbappe is currently tied to Paris Saint-Germain until 2024 and could extend his stay in the French capital by one more year amid swirling reports of a potential move in the summer.
Amid the uncertainty surrounding his future, Florent Malouda wants Mbappe to consider a move to the Premier League,revealing he has been trying to convince his compatriot to join Chelsea.
After a remarkable run of results under Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal have become the clear favourites to defeat Manchester City to the Premier League title this season.
That fantasy, however, is set to come crashing down after Arteta’s team lost three of their most recent games.
The north Londoners have suffered three damaging draws in all those matches, with the most recent ending in a 3-3 epic draw at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The Sun reports Arsenal had to come from two goals down to secure the point after Carlos Alcaraz and Theo Walcott handed the Saints an early lead.
The result still has the Gunners topping the charts with a five-point advantage, with only six games left to end the season.
However, Man City do have an edge over them as they have two games in hand, with both teams also scheduled to face off at the Etihad in what has been touted as a potential title decider.
Speaking after Arsenal’s draw against Southampton, the Brazilian striker highlighted two key reasons why the north Londoners have stuttered in recent weeks.
According to the former Man City striker, lack of experience and focus has contributed to Arsenal’s recent struggles.
After the final whistle of their Premier League match against Southampton on Friday, April 21, Arsenal’s stars struggled to contain their emotions.
During the game, the Gunners lost for the third time in a row, dealing Mikel Arteta’s team yet another setback in their title defence.
The north Londoners were looking to bounce back after dropping points in their most recent match against West Ham United by defeating the relegation-threatened Saints.
However, The Telegraph reports the league leaders faltered yet again, with two late goals from Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard rescuing a point for them at the Emirates.
Carlos Alcaraz opened the scoring for the visitors just seconds into the kick-off before former Arsenal ace Theo Walcott doubled the advantage for the Saints in the 14th minute.
While Gabriel Martinelli went on to draw one back for the hosts in the 20th minute, Southampton restored their two-goal advantage in the 66th minute via Duje Caleta-Car.
The visitors looked on course to sink Arsenal, only for Odegaard and Saka to score late on to earn their side a 3-3 draw.
Arsenal stars in tears
Emotions got the better of Arsenal stars after the full-time whistle, as they were spotted in tears shortly after the match.
Odegaard was among the Arsenal stars who were pictured dejected as it dawned on them they were on the verge of bottling the league.
Whereas Arteta’s men have a five-point advantage over second-placed Man City, they still have to contend with a trip to the Etihad and a clash against rivals Chelsea before the season ends.
Additionally, City, who are the defending champions, now have two games in hand as the campaign enters its homestretch.
Darwin Nunez, according to Jurgen Klopp, is “a long-term project” at Liverpool and the striker “still adapting” to life with the Reds.
The Uruguayan international, who went to Anfield from Benfica before the current campaign for an initial sum of £64 million, has scored 15 goals in 37 games in his first season with Liverpool, who are currently eighth in the Premier League and nine points behind the top four.
However, Nunez has recently had difficulty getting into the game, having started just one of the Reds’ last four games as Klopp opted for a front three of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, and Diogo Jota.
But the Reds boss, who will be without Roberto Firmino for the visit of Nottingham Forest on Saturday due to a muscle injury, insists the 23-year-old will get plenty of opportunities between now and the end of the season.
“Darwin is a player with a different skill set to our other players, which is good,” Klopp said during his pre-match press conference. “He’s a real handful, a machine.
“He will score a lot of goals, and he’s scored a decent number already. But of course, he’s still adapting. His English still isn’t great, but we’re working on that.
“He was injured in some moments, suspended in others. This is a long-term project.
“I understand that he wants to play desperately from the beginning, but we have to find a way that really works for us again and then fit in the players we can use with the specific strengths.
“I am completely fine with the situation and I understand that Darwin isn’t always fine. He doesn’t smile in my face when he realises he won’t start and say: ‘thank you, boss’.
“But when you have five or six players available up front, you have to make decisions. The door is miles open. He came on the other night and was exceptional. It was exactly the right way. With five games in the next two weeks, Darwin will start games, definitely.”
With Luis Diaz also returning to fitness in recent weeks, what must Nunez do to give himself the best opportunity to regain his place in the starting line-up?
“The ticket into this team must be and will be counter-pressing,” Klopp added. “We had so many games where I didn’t like that, and it’s a pretty strict thing.
“All five available now can do it pretty well. If you do it in a game you play, then you’ll have a good chance of starting again.
“We have opportunities to change and with five games in the next two weeks, there will be changes. Everyone will play, everyone is super important to us.
“But the ticket will be the desire to win the ball back after we’ve lost it, because we had so many times when that made the difference in games. It’s super important against deep-defending sides.”
The Gunners and the Saints had an entertaining game at the Emirates Stadium on Friday, April 21.
Mikel Arteta’s team was eager to get back to winning ways during the game after dropping points in two of their previous matches.
However, The Telegraph reports the league leaders faltered yet again as they settled for a 3-3 damaging draw in what was a huge blow to their title bid.
The hosts had to rely on two late goals from Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard to salvage the point after Carlos Alcaraz and Theo Walcott had put Southampton ahead.
Haaland shares foretelling tweet
Haaland sparked reactions among fans with his foretelling tweet shortly after Arsenal’s epic draw against Southampton.
The Manchester City attacker posted a cheeky tweet with photos of him in training kits with the caption: “Mood Still.”
Haaland’s tweet sent fans into a meltdown, with many convinced the Norwegian hotshot had been watching theEmirates showdown.
One replied:
“What perfect tweet timing!”
A second noted:
“Posting it after Arsenal bottling another game.”
While another reckoned:
“You definitely watched the Arsenal game lol.”
Arsenal are scheduled to take on reigning champions Man City in their next Premier League outing.
Eid al-Fitr, the “festival of breaking the fast” that follows the holy month of Ramadan, is a time when Muslims congregate in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Relieved to be allowed to celebrate freely following the lifting of most COVID-19 restrictions that had stifled past festivities, Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia have congregated in large numbers to usher in the Eid al-Fitr festival, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
To commemorate the conclusion of Ramadan, hundreds of worshippers gathered at the historic harbour of Sunda Kelapa in North Jakarta, the country with the largest proportion of Muslims in the world, for morning prayers on Saturday.
“I’m very happy that we’re free (of COVID curbs) now,” Laila, 35, who goes by one name like many Indonesians, told the Reuters news agency.
Another worshipper, 30-year-old Adit Chandra, said: “I hope it gets better from here on, and that we can gather together with our families after the last three years of not being able to go back to our hometown.”
Chandra is among the more than 120 million Indonesians – nearly half the country’s population – who plan to travel from major urban centres to their hometowns for Eid al-Fitr.
In neighbouring Malaysia, devotees also celebrated with families.
“We can visit the extended family, and do so without suspicious feelings … during the pandemic we were cautious,” said Khairul Soryati, a 39-year-old resident of the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Muhd Nur Afham, 31, who works in Singapore said he could finally celebrate with family in Malaysia this year after not being able to travel during the pandemic.
“I’m grateful … last time we only met through video call,” he said.
Authorities in both countries have, however, urged the public to remain cautious amid reports of rising COVID cases.
Many were unable to attend the Eid prayers earlier in the morning due to fighting that erupted in Khartoum’s capital earlier in the day.
وافقت القوات المسلحة على هدنة لمدة ثلاثة أيام اعتبارا من اليوم الجمعة الموافق ٢١ أبريل لتمكين المواطنين من الاحتفال بعيد الفطر، وانسياب الخدمات الأنسانية. تأمل القوات المسلحة أن يلتزم المتمردون بكل متطلبات الهدنة ووقف أي تحركات عسكرية من شأنها عرقلتها. مكتب الناطق الرسمي pic.twitter.com/xGi1BOfYCm
— القوات المسلحة السودانية – الإعلام العسكري (@GHQSudan) April 21, 2023
“The armed forces hope that the rebels will abide by all the requirements of the truce and stop any military moves that would obstruct it,” the statement says.
In the forthcoming transfer window, Paris Saint-Germain is reportedly ready to make a €150 million offer for star Napoli attacker Victor Osimhen.
The 24-year-old Osimhen is now in his third season with Napoli after moving there in a club-record €70 million deal from Lille, and this time around he has had one of the best goal-scoring campaigns in Europe.
The Nigerian international has been unstoppable with 21 goals in 24 Serie A appearances and five goals in six Champions League matches.
Now, the world’s best clubs have taken notice.
While there is also said to be strong interest in Osimhen coming from the deep pockets of Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain are trying to wrap things up early with a serious bid.
Football Insider is reporting the French giants are ready to meet Napoli’s enormous €150m asking price, with the hope they can blow Chelsea out of the water as they consider a £100m (€112m) bid of their own.
Osimhen’s contract ties him to the club for two more seasons after this one, but with his value at an all-time high,and with Napoli being able to offer the chance at league titles and deep Champions League runs, the Serie A leaders can demand a substantial windfall.
ROUND-UP
– According to GiveMeSport, Manchester United view Valencia’s 22-year-old goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili – who is priced around £45m (€50m) – as a potential long-term replacement for David de Gea.
– United are also showing interest in 19-year-old Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva, although they face competition from Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli, Real Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool, per Ekrem Konur.
– Football Insider is reporting Liverpool and Tottenham are the two teams 23-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan Ndicka will choose between when his contract expires in a few months.
– According to the Daily Mail, 31-year-old Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino will join Barcelona on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Former minister of environment, science, technology, and innovation,Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, accused the current minister of information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, of being behind a plot to bring him down in his battle against unlawful small-scale mining, also known as galamsey.
In a report on illicit small-scale mining (galamsey) in Ghana, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said that Oppong Nkrumah devised a scheme to sabotage him because of his struggle against the threat.
“…indeed, the facts are that it was Prof Boateng himself who wrote to the Ghana Police Service in January 2020 reporting the loss of some excavators and calling for an investigation. It was Prof Boateng himself who in subsequent media interviews mentioned that the number of excavators missing was about 500.
“Again, on or around February 20, 2020, it was Prof Boateng himself who at Parliament House (During interviews on the SONA) engaged in exchanges with the media about the said excavators and promised that they will be recovered.
“For the record, these are the matters that occasioned the media reports about Prof Boateng and the said excavators.Further, it was Prof Boateng himself who was later to be seen in a video making comments about the anti-galamsey fight and the release of excavators.”
He added “I Kojo Oppong Nkrumah was not responsible for his initial police report, his subsequent interviews, or any of the claims he made. To be clear, it was Prof Boateng’s own reports, interviews, and videos that generated his media challenges around the time. I am thus disappointed that he would, in this document, seek to blame me for the media reports,” the statement said.
What Prof Frimpong Boateng wrote about Oppong Nkrumah in his galamsey report:
A report by the Chairman of the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cited Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah as scheming to run him down.
The 37-page report filed by the former Minister for Environment, Science and Technology dated March 19, 2021, was to brief the president about the work of the Committee in its fight against illegal mining and the “way forward.”
One of the big names indicted in the report is the Minister for Information who according to Mr Frimpong Boateng gathered and incited a team of journalists to attack him.
“On Saturday the 8th of February 2020. Mr. Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, the Minister for Information assembled a group of journalists from both NDC and NPP-affiliated media houses at the Forest Hotel in Dodowa to discuss a strategy to bring me Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng down. Whilst they were there a journalist from among the group called a friend of mine, also a journalist, and informed him about the plot that was being hatched. He further informed my friend to watch out for headlines in some newspapers in the days following the meeting,” he stated in the report.
“On Monday, 10′ February 2020, the INFORMER Newspaper, whose Editor was at the meeting had the Banner Headline on its front page as reproduced below: “As if that was not enough on Thursday, 13th February 2020 at the 71st Cabinet Meeting, Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah in his regular report to Cabinet talked about news that was trending in the week.
“The first thing he mentioned was Frimpong-Boateng and 500 missing excavators,” the former minister said.
As part of his report, Prof. Frimpong Boateng alleged that some members of the Committee including Kojo Oppong Nkrumah sabotaged his work.
“It must be noted that Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah, as Minister for Information, was a member of the IMCIM and he never called me to find out what I knew about ‘missing excavators’ but he found it worthwhile to magnify it in press and also present the falsehood before Cabinet for reasons best known to him and his co-conspirators. If Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah and the likes of him have presidential ambitions they should pursue it on merit and not attempt to destroy a hard working patriot, whose only ambition is work to achieve a Ghana Beyond Aid,” the report captured.
“After the 2020 general election, Oppong-Nkrumah on many occasions attributed the below expectation performance of the NPP to the Government’s management of the ‘banking crisis and the galamsey fight’. The fact is that those who did not vote for the NPP in the galamsey areas were not the miners but rather the hundreds of thousands of people living in the communities bordering the forests reserves, who were being harassed by mining companies such as Heritage Imperial,” he added.
College of New Caledonia Columbia International College University of the Fraser Valley Vancouver Community College Alexander College
In Alberta
Alberta University of the Arts Canadian Imperial College Burman University Ambrose University CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care
In Manitoba
Assiniboine Community College Heartland International English School Brandon University Booth University College International College of Manitoba Harv’s Air Service Canadian Mennonite University
In Nova Scotia
Acadia University Memorial University of Newfoundland College of North Atlantic Western Regional School of Nursing Academy of Learning Career College Apex Language and Career College
In December 2022, he and his brother Tristan were first taken into custody at their house in Bucharest.
He was placed under house arrest on March 31 as a result of a Romanian judge’s decision.
The brothers and the two Romanian associates who were also taken into custody have not yet been charged.
However, prosecutors are investigating the brothers for crimes of suspected human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
They have denied the allegations.
The two associates, Georgiana Naghel and Luana Radu, were also moved from prison detention into house arrest on 31 March.
All four were ordered to stay in the buildings where they live, unless they have judicial permission to leave.
Minister of information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has denied claims made in a 37-page report on illicit mining that he engineered a plot to assassinate Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the former minister for science, environment, technology, and innovation.
According to the report written by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah organised a meeting of NPP and NDC journalists in Dodowa on February 8, 2020, to discuss a plan to assassinate Prof. Boateng.
According to Frimpong-Boateng, the outcome of the meeting led to subsequent negative media reports about him.
But in a response, Mr Oppong Nkrumah described the claims as completely false.
According to him, he only attended a PRINPAG (Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana) event, jointly organised with the Bank of Ghana on financial reporting and never held any meeting to oust anybody from the government.
“Indeed, the facts are that it was Prof Frimpong-Boateng himself who wrote to the Ghana Police Service in January 2020 reporting the loss of some excavators and calling for an investigation.
It was Prof. Frimpong-Boateng himself who in subsequent media interviews mentioned that the number of excavators missing was about 500.
Again on or around February 20, 2020, it was Prof Frimpong-Boateng himself who at Parliament House (During interviews on the SONA) engaged in exchanges with the media about the said excavators and promised that they will be recovered”.
“For the record, these are the matters that occasioned the media reports about Prof Frimpong-Boateng and the said excavators. Further, it was Prof. Frimpong-Boateng himself who was later to be seen in a video making comments about the anti-galamsey fight and the release of excavators.
“I Kojo Oppong Nkrumah was not responsible for his initial police report, his subsequent interviews, or any of the claims he made.
To be clear, it was Prof Frimpong-Boateng’s own reports, interviews and videos that generated his media challenges around the time. I am thus disappointed that he would, in this document, seek to blame me for the media reports.”
“Over the years, I had nothing but great admiration for Prof Frimpong-Boateng’s public-spirited works and as an inspirational citizen.
I feel gravely offended over the false claims he has made and the hurtful conclusions he has sought to exact about me precisely because of the great esteem in which I have held him.
“I trust that in the coming months and years, he will reflect deeply upon his own actions and comments which have led to his challenges. He should kindly leave me out of his personal fights. I am utterly disappointed but I forgive him.”
In connection with the event that occurred while Rust was being filmed in New Mexico, the Emmy Award-winning actor was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Halyna Hutchins, a cinematographer, was murdered by a real bullet fired from a pretend gun that Baldwin was using.
The development comes less than two weeks before a trial was set to begin.
A statement released by New Mexico special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis said that “over the last few days… new facts were revealed” in the case, requiring further investigation.
“This decision does not absolve Mr Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled,” the statement continued, adding: “Our follow-up investigation will remain active and ongoing.”
A lawyer for Mr Baldwin praised the move by prosecutors.
“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” his lawyer, Luke Nikas, told the BBC in a statement.
Mr Baldwin had been practising firing the gun on set at a ranch near Santa Fe when it went off, fatally striking 42-year-old Ukrainian-born Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
The actor denied pulling the trigger, although an FBI report later concluded that the gun could not have been fired without the trigger being pulled.
He had been due in court for a preliminary hearing on 3 May.
The film’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is also facing two counts of involuntary manslaughter. The statement from the special prosecutors says the charges against her remain unchanged.
A lawyer for Ms Gutierrez-Reed told BBC News that they “fully expect at the end of this process that Hannah will also be exonerated”.
According to the LA Times, prosecutors had recently learned that the gun used in the shooting, a .45 Colt revolver, had been modified with a new trigger in a way that could have made a misfire more likely.
Thursday’s statement by prosecutors made no mention of the gun, but said that the newly revealed facts “demand further investigation and forensic analysis”.
Prosecutors had accused Mr Baldwin, 65, of showing a “reckless” disregard for the safety of his colleagues.
Mr Nikas, a lawyer for the star of The Hunt for Red October, previously called the initial decision to charge his client “a terrible miscarriage of justice”.
“Mr Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun – or anywhere on the movie set,” Mr Nikas said.
“He relied on the professionals with whom he worked, who assured him the gun did not have live rounds.”
In an Instagram post after the announcement was made, the 30 Rock actor thanked his lawyer and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin.
In order to have been found guilty prosecutors would have had to convince a jury that he had acted with “criminal negligence”.
If convicted, he could have faced up to 18 months in prison.
The Santa Fe district attorney had initially added a firearm enhancement charge, which could have added five years to his sentence.
But it was dropped after prosecutors determined that the enhancement law was not in place at the time of the shooting.
The decision to drop the charges comes on the same day that Rust resumed filming – 18 months after the shooting.
Melina Spadone, a lawyer for Rust Movie Productions, said new rules on the set “will bar any use of working weapons and any form of ammunition”.
“Live ammunition is – and always was – prohibited on set.”
According to Variety magazine, Mr Baldwin is currently filming Rust on location in Montana.
Hutchins’ widower, Matthew, will be an executive producer. Baldwin last October reached a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by her family.
Rust Movie productions, which Baldwin is part of, said in February the scene that was being rehearsed when Hutchins was shot has now been rewritten.
On what would have been her 97th birthday, a new photograph of thelate Queen was made public.
The former monarch can be seen grinning with some of her grandkids and great-grandchildren in the never-before-seen photo, which was taken by the Princess of Wales.
Last summer at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire, the family posed for a photo as a unit.
In addition to Mia, Lucas, and Lena Tindall, Savannah, and Isla Phillips are present with the Queen, as well as Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Standing at the back are the Queen’s grandchildren Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex – the son and daughter of the now Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
Recognising the Queen’s birthday on Instagram earlier, Buckingham Palace wrote: “Today we remember the incredible life and legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on what would have been her 97th birthday.”
“When Her Majesty was born in April 1926, Princess Elizabeth and her family did not expect that she would one day become Queen. Following the abdication of her uncle King Edward VIII in 1936, her father acceded to the throne.
“When King George VI died in February 1952, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II when she was just 25. Her Majesty went on to be Britain’s longest reigning Monarch – the only one in history to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.”
Balmoral was one of the Queen’s favourite places and she is said to never have been happier than when staying there.
After her marriage to Prince Philip in 1947, the couple spent their honeymoon at Birkhall – a hunting lodge on the Balmoral estate.
Image:Queen Elizabeth II and Liz Truss during audience at Balmoral
The Queen then usually stayed at the main property annually from August and September, and into October.
She travelled to the private residence on July 21 2022, and for the first time in her reign appointed a new prime minister there on Tuesday 6 September – two days before her death on 8 September.
The UEFA summit slated for Monday, to solicit expert input into crucial topics such as the VAR and handball will host a star-studded panel of Europe-based legends. They will be urged to “protect the game of football”.
The 24-member UEFA football board now includes famous ex-players Paolo Maldini, Luis Figo, Gareth Bale, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Laudrup, Philipp Lahm, and Robbie Keane in addition to coaches Jose Mourinho, Fabio Capello, Zinedine Zidane, Carlo Ancelotti, and Fabio Capello.
There is one non-European on the board, with Inter’s Argentine vice-president Javier Zanetti joining a throng that also includes former Germany team-mates Rudi Voller and Jurgen Klinsmann, plus Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman, Rafael Benitez, Patrick Vieira and Eric Abidal.
The noticeably all-male board will hold its first meeting at UEFA’s European House of Football headquarters on Monday.
European football’s governing body said the group will “give an institutional yet independent voice of experience and expertise on fundamental football-related topics”.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said: “UEFA is delighted to see that the very ones who have shaped the game’s history with their talents and philosophy through decades are gathered again around our common goal – to protect the game of football and its essential values. As we always say: football first!”
“No one understands it any more,” Ceferin said. “So we really need a conversation here, finding solutions and clarifying some issues.”
He said that would be an issue for the football board to look at, and it was confirmed on Thursday as being on the agenda for the meeting, along with discussions about the video assistant referee system, player behaviour and medical issues.
UEFA said its technical director and chief of football Zvonimir Boban would chair Monday’s meeting, although he is not a member of the new board.
⚽ A stellar line-up of players, former stars and elite coaches will assemble at UEFA HQ on Monday for the inaugural meeting of the UEFA Football Board.
Find out who is involved and what will they discuss: ⬇️
UEFA football board members: Jose Mourinho (Portugal), Carlo Ancelotti (Italy), Zinedine Zidane (France), Paolo Maldini (Italy), Fabio Capello (Italy), Javier Zanetti (Argentina), Luis Figo (Portugal), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Ronald Koeman (Netherlands), Gareth Southgate (England), Rio Ferdinand (England), Michael Laudrup (Denmark), Rafael Benitez (Spain), Roberto Martinez (Spain) Predrag Mijatovic (Montenegro), Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany), Rudi Voller (Germany), Petr Cech (Czech Republic), Juan Mata (Spain), Robbie Keane (Republic of Ireland), Patrick Vieira (France), Henrik Larsson (Sweden), Eric Abidal (France), Gareth Bale (Wales).
The Spanish coach wants to bolster his team with some top-tier players for the upcoming season. Nevertheless, he is on a tight budget and needs to earn money by selling a few players.
With this in mind, Xavi has resorted to signing three free agents, Lionel Messi, central defender Inigo Martinez and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. All three players will come as free transfers as they will be out of contract at their respective clubs by the end of June.
According to a report by the Mirror, the signings would see Xavi move to a narrow formation or use Pedri and Gavi as wide midfielders.
However, as per the report, the move will come at the cost of French winger Ousmane Dembele, who will have to drop out of the starting XI despite being in solid form this season.
Lionel Messi’s move back to the Catalan club is still not sure, given the wages he will command. But the club and La Liga are working towards an arrangement that will make it financially possible for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner to join the club.
Meanwhile,Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has not decided where he wants to play next season, although he is open to moving to Spain. But Barcelona and Inigo Martinez have reached an agreement that will see the Spanish defender join in the summer.
Xavi’s dream staring XI at Barca next season:
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Inigo Martinez, Alejandro Balde; Ilkay Gundogan, Frenkie De Jong, Pedri; Gavi, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski.
