TRANSFER NEWS

Romelu Lukaku will have a medical in the next couple of days and should be able to join Man Utd for their USA tour.

The Gunners have made the France international their record signing, with Arsene Wenger raiding Lyon for a man being tipped to emulate an icon

Alexandre Lacazette has been compared to Arsenal legend Ian Wright by Gerard Houllier after completing a £46 million transfer to England.

Having long been linked with a move to Emirates Stadium, the Gunners have finally got their man in a record-breaking deal with Lyon.

Arsene Wenger has acquired a proven goalscorer in the France international, with Lacazette boasting a prolific strike rate from his time at his hometown club.

Arsenal's top 10 record signings

Former Liverpool boss Houllier, who is now an advisor at Lyon, is confident the 26-year-old can transfer his Ligue 1 form onto a Premier League stage and follow in the footsteps of an attacking icon in north London.

He told talkSPORT of Lacazette: “He is very mobile, very quick, good in short spaces, has good skill and he scores goals.

“He was the top scorer in France in 2014-15, the best player in the league in 2015 and has been the best French scorer over the last three seasons.

“He scores more than 25 goals every season. One thing he will bring to Arsenal is goals. His main asset is to score goals.

Branislav Ivanovic: Chelsea defender moves to Zenit St Petersburg

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has joined Russian Premier League side Zenit St Petersburg for an undisclosed fee on a two-and-a-half year deal.

Serb Ivanovic, 32, joined the Blues in January 2008 from Lokomotiv Moscow and played 377 times for the club.
He won the Champions League, Premier League twice, FA Cup three times and League Cup, and scored the winning goal in the 2013 Europa League final.
However, he had only started six Premier League games this season.
Ivanovic, who was set to be out of contract at the end of the season, scored for the club in his final appearance, Saturday's 4-0 FA Cup win over Brentford.
Chelsea captain John Terry paid tribute to his team-mate, describing Ivanovic as a "legend" in an Instagram post.
"Unbelievable defender for us over the years and a great and big character and presence in the dressing room," Terry wrote.
Even though the English transfer window closed on Tuesday, Premier League clubs can sell to teams in countries whose window remains open, such as Russia.

Girl Stripped Naked, Brutalized For Sleeping With Her Married Boss

A Zimbabwean woman was recently stripped Unclad and brutalized after news of her alleged affair with her married boss leaked to his wife.

The woman, identified as Sandra Chibanda, was stripped Unclad, splashed with opaque beer and bashed by her boss’ wife identified only as Mai.

The quartet arrived, armed with a pair of scissors and two bottles of opaque beer and intruded into the company kitchen where Sandra works and gave the workers free drama as they descended upon the woman splashing ‘chi super’ on her.

In a bid to retrieve messages between the two, Sandra’s phone was smashed after she refused to divulge her password.

During the fiasco a sobbing Sandra revealed that she had been dating Nyamunetsi for almost a year now and pleaded for mercy.

“Please forgive me, l will break up with him. I do not know what got into me. I know you but l could not resist, we have been dating for a year now,” she pleaded.

It emerged that Sandra was helped by Mai Jerry’s mother to get the job as a cook at MVI Coaches and that Nyamunetsi had built a house for Sandra’s mother in Seke.

“Was it not my mother who helped you secure a job here? And this is how you pay her by bedding her daughter’s husband, you made me bake cakes for your children using my husband’s money making me appear like a fool.

“Today l want to teach you a lesson, l want all the things that my husband bought for you,” Mai Jerry said this whilst cutting off Sandra’s hair using a pair of a scissors and tearing off her clothes including her panties.

After stripping her they told her to walk to their car which was parked outside and one of the workers protested and exchanged blows with Mai Jerry and her team.

“How can you strip a woman in front of men, you are not going to take her out of this premises,” he said.

He was grabbed by other men when he exchanged blows with Mai Jerry in a bid to protect Sandra.

Mai jerry and her three friends led Sandra clad in a sack to the car.

All this drama took place after Mai Jerry’s husband had left for a business meeting and efforts to get his comment were fruitless by the time of going to print, HMetro reports.

The attackers were later arrested and charged to court. The brutally assaulted lady confirmed she had been knowingly dating a married man for almost a year.

The wife of the man in question, told the court that she acted out of anger and that the affair had been infringing on her conjugal rights.

Magistrate later ordered the wife and her friends to pay US$50 fine each by April 22 or spend ten days in prison.

South African Twin Sisters Marries The Same Man

26 year old twin sisters, Owami and Olwethu Mzazi from Vosloorus, South Africa recently got married to the same man, 51 year old Mzukiseni Mzazi.

When interviewed by a South African magazine, the sisters said they’d always known they’d marry same man as they have shared everything else together since they were born…

“We have always done everything together. We share everything. That is how our grandmother raised us. So when we decided to marry, we said any man that wants to marry one, will marry the other” Owami told Drum magazine.

Community Shield: Manchester United beat Leicester with Ibrahimovic header

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has helped to put the blockbuster feel back into Manchester United and the striker who has promised to become a footballing god to the club’s fans offered an illustration of his patented sense of occasion.

The curtain-raiser to the Premier League season had been engaging enough, marked by Jesse Lingard’s marvellous solo goal and a deserved Leicester Cityequaliser from Jamie Vardy, but it looked to be sliding towards a rather artificial penalty shootout conclusion.

Enter Zlatan. The free-agent signing from Paris Saint-Germain had successfully executed a back-heel with his first touch in the early running – the Swede is addicted to the extravagant. But it was what he did in the 83rd minute that represented his setting down of a marker.

Antonio Valencia stood up a cross towards the far post and Ibrahimovic leapt for it with Wes Morgan, the Leicester captain and not a man easily outmuscled. Ibrahimovic outmuscled him. The header did not pack similar power but the precision was perfect. The ball squeezed past Kasper Schmeichel and went in off the far post. Ibrahimovic was overtaken by delight.

José Mourinho’s mission is to bring silverware to Old Trafford and, after losing his previous three Community Shields with Chelsea, the new manager has started by locating the trigger for momentum. His broader goal, however, is to bring back the club’s identity which took such a hit under his predecessor, Louis van Gaal.

Mourinho knows it will take time to impose a more high-tempo and direct style, one in which his players look quickly for the space in between the lines, while he has also switched to a zonal marking system. Pre-season has brought its frustrations, particularly the lost week in China, following the cancellation of the friendly against Manchester City. His United is clearly a work in progress.

But with Mourinho and Ibrahimovic on board – and Paul Pogba to follow for €110m (£93m) – the swagger is back. Mourinho is not only comfortable with great expectations; he encourages them. In the cool Wembley air, it was possible to detect the shoots of optimism, not least when the trophy was hoisted to the sky. If nothing else, it was pleasing to see United look forward as though they meant it when they had the ball.

Leicester contributed fully to the occasion, which continues to occupy a curious space in the English game. It is a showpiece friendly or a competitive match, in the manner of, say, the Spanish Super Cup? Do goals officially count towards a player’s tally for the season? Nobody seems to know, for sure.

The Premier League champions – yes, it really did happen – were a match for United, which boded well for the challenges ahead, and they might have taken the lead in the first half through Shinji Okazaki. He saw a shot deflect narrowly wide and he hit the crossbar with a header from Marc Albrighton’s corner.

Leicester were value for Vardy’s equaliser while the new signing Ahmed Musa, who came on as a substitute, looked pacey and threatening. There were reasons for Claudio Ranieri, who feels that his team is only at 60% of its capacity, to be cheerful. They may have lost the element of surprise but their qualities remain. Ranieri said his target for the season was 40 points. Where have we heard that before?

Lingard – whose screaming volley had won the FA Cup last May – brought the game to life. The winger collected Wayne Rooney’s square pass and he exploded away from two blue shirts before surging around a third in Robert Huth and riding Morgan’s head-on slide challenge. It was not Morgan’s day. When Danny Simpson could not get across in time, Lingard had opened up the one-on-one with Schmeichel. The finish with his right instep was nerveless.

Apart from Andy King for N’Golo Kanté, who has been lured to Chelsea, Ranieri’s starting XI was the one that had fired last season’s fairytale. Perhaps there was an element of personal reward for his champions. Leicester do not play at Wembley every year. It was their first appearance since 2000, when they beat Tranmere Rovers in the League Cup final. Ranieri introduced three of his five summer signings in the second half, Luis Hernández and Papy Mendy following on from Musa.

Mourinho’s selection had more talking points. Lingard justified his inclusion ahead of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, one of the club’s three new boys, while that of Marouane Fellaini in midfield raised a few eyebrows. Eric Bailly, another new signing, looked extremely promising in central defence even if he made a few mistakes. The 22-year-old showcased his pace and strength.

Mourinho’s keenness to get Mkhitaryan on for a taste of the action in stoppage time resulted in the decision to hook Juan Mata, who had entered as a 63rd‑minute substitute. Given Mourinho’s history with Mata at Chelsea it was difficult not to over-analyse. Mata walked through the mixed zone afterwards without talking but with a look that suggested people ought to know why.

Leicester’s equaliser was a horrible moment for Fellaini, who underhit an attempted back-pass for David De Gea, which allowed Vardy to nip in and finish. United lost Lingard after he was caught by King’s slide challenge and there were second-half chances for Ibrahimovic, Musa and, at the very last, the Leicester substitute, Demarai Gray. By then, Ibrahimovic had bent the game to his will.

Norwich City hit their stride as Jacob Murphy sets up rout at Blackburn

Norwich City have kept their manager and most of their Premier League squad since relegation last season and were able to show their pedigree at Ewood Park, cruising into a commanding first-half lead to leave an out-thought and outclassedBlackburn Rovers looking like a side from several divisions below.

The first boos of Owen Coyle’s reign as Rovers manager were heard after 24 minutes, as a sweeping crossfield move ended with Cameron Jerome scoring at the far post to put his side three goals in front. The home centre-backs had been badly embarrassed twice by then, first when Jacob Murphy made space for himself with a neat turn to beat Jason Steele from outside the area, then when Wes Hoolahan made it two after darting between Elliott Ward and Shane Duffy into the area.

Ward went off injured shortly afterwards and Blackburn improved when Gordon 

Greer took over in defence, though they were already chasing a lost cause and the situation became hopeless when a third goal went in with less than a third of the game completed.

Steven Naismith and Hoolahan tried to find a way through the middle again but found their routes blocked, though they retained possession and the presence of mind to sweep the ball out to Ivo Pinto on the right, whose low cross behind the Blackburn defenders was tucked away by Jerome with deflections off post and goalkeeper.

One or two home fans could be seen heading for the exits even at that early stage, all the optimism of opening day having evaporated. They did not miss much for the rest of the first half.

Blackburn could not get going in midfield, where Hoolahan and Jonny Howson were in firm control, and all that the Norwich goalkeeper, John Ruddy, was asked to do before the interval was come out to collect a couple of hopeful crosses.

Danny Graham had been unable to accomplish anything on his own up front in the first half, so Coyle sent out Anthony Stokes to accompany him, though Blackburn were still too slow into most of the 50-50 challenges and laboured in their passing for it to make much of a difference.

A good example came early in the second half, when Norwich could easily have increased their lead. Naismith in the centre had options on both sides but chose Murphy, powering into the area on his right. A fourth goal was avoided by only the width of a post after Steele let Murphy’s shot through his legs. No matter, it took only another six minutes for the fourth goal to arrive. The irrepressible Hoolahan cheekily nutmegged Adam Henley in the penalty area to set up Naismith, who finished with his usual calmness and accuracy.

A fifth goal almost arrived straight afterwards when Hoolahan played Murphy into even more space on the left, though this time Steele managed to save with his legs.

Norwich were so neat and precise in comparison with their leaden-footed hosts that some of their attacking moves looked like training ground exercises, though it is easy to put on an exhibition when four goals to the good against opponents apparently unwilling to mount any kind of fightback.

While Stokes did manage to raise a small amount of cheer midway through the second half with a goal on his debut, a downward header from a deep cross that Ruddy probably should have saved, it did not lead to any quickening of Blackburn pulses either on or off the pitch.

It looked as though Norwich had begun their season a few weeks ago and were now hitting their full stride. Alex Neil’s side are among the favourites to be promoted from the Championship and they could hardly have made a more promising or confident start.

Blackburn, in contrast, looked as if they were still on their holidays, or perhaps warming up in a pre-season friendly, with the real thing still a week or so away. Unfortunately for Coyle and his new patch of east Lancashire, this was the real thing and Blackburn are in deep trouble already.

Granted they will not be playing teams of Norwich’s class every week but they will find the going tough against almost anyone in the division unless they improve their work rate, their defending and perhaps come up with the odd attacking idea.

Ten young Premier League players who could make 2016-17 their season

1) Josh Onomah

Tottenham Age 19, Midfielder

Already part of the furniture at White Hart Lane, the next task for the midfielder is to become a centrepiece. A graduate of the Spurs academy, Onomah made 19 appearances in all competitions last season. Seven of those came in the Europa League, though, where Mauricio Pochettino invariably rotated his team. Spurs have the Champions League to contend with this season, so it will be interesting to see if the rotation means more domestic game time for the 19-year-old.

2) Harrison Reed

Southampton 21, Midfielder

This could be a make or break year at St Mary’s for the central midfielder. Reed made just one appearance in the league last season after featuring on 10 occasions in all competitions in the previous campaign. A January loan move to Rangers did not work out, so Reed was left in the shadows on the south coast. Claude Puel is eager to bring young players through and Reed saw a fair share of game time in pre-season, though his competition for a starting place has altered due to Victor Wanyama’s exit to Tottenham but Pierre Emile Hojberg has been signed from Bayern Munich.

3) Ben Gibson

Middlesbrough 23, Defender

A key figure in Aitor Karanka’s promotion-winning team (who conceded just 31 times in the Championship last season), the defender was earmarked for an England call up after the European Championship due to a dearth of left-footed centre-halves. A call up seems only a matter of time. Gibson, who is from Nunthorpe and joined the club as a 12-year-old, has spoken about “building a legacy” at the Riverside, which sounds like a piece of welcomed long-term thinking for Boro.

4) Nathaniel Chalobah

Chelsea 21, Midfielder

After six different loan spells, including a period on the fringes at Napoli, it would appear to be now or never for Chalobah at Stamford Bridge and he has looked sharp in pre-season. Having played as a centre-half, he has been used mostly in a holding midfield role lately. There is little doubt over his talent but it seems wasted if he is not going to be offered sufficient opportunities by his new manager Antonio Conte to impress.

5) Reece Oxford

West Ham United 17, Defender

So much excitement was generated after the then 16-year-old’s immense display in last season’s opening game at Arsenal, but only two more starts followed and he was taken off at half-time in both matches. Stories of an £18m move away from West Ham linger but more of him should be seen in claret and blue this time around. Oxford is evidently assured for such a young player and reportedly queried if he will have a greater role under Slaven Bilic this season.

6) Rob Holding

Arsenal 20, Defender

After the centre-half’s debut in the friendly against MLS All-Stars, Arsène Wenger was quick to point out how surprised he was by the 20-year-old’s assuredness in marking Didier Drogba. “He reads the game well and understands what’s going on, anticipates well and that’s a quality at such a young age that you do not find a lot,” Wenger said of the £2m signing from Bolton, The long-term injury sustained by Per Mertesacker could mean he may well be dropped in at the deep end.

7) Jordan Pickford

Sunderland 22, Goalkeeper

Impressed in defeat when called on by Sam Allardyce in the FA Cup against Arsenal in January and started the league game at Tottenham a week later before Vito Mannone took over. Pickford, who has the rare distinction of having already played in the top five levels of English football by the age of 21, has signed a long-term contract on Wearside and Mannone has already spoken about the battle he faces to remain as No1 under David Moyes.

8) Matthew Pennington

Everton 21, Defender

Following a succession of injuries among defenders in Everton’s squad last season, Pennington became a fixture in the team towards the end of the season having been recalled from a loan at Walsall early. Looked strong in pre-season before picking up a hamstring injury but that should not stunt his progress greatly. Pennington would be in line to benefit if John Stones moves on, though he has also played at right-back. Unusually he has hardly featured for England’s underage teams, aside from involvement with the under-19s.

9) Demarai Gray

Leicester City 20, Forward

With Leicester also competing in the Champions League this season, rotation will be a must for Claudio Ranieri and the 20-year-old winger, who signed for the champions from Birmingham City, can be one of the beneficiaries. Gray has also left Gareth Southgate impressed since making his England Under-21 debut against Switzerland in March.

10) Sheyi Ojo

Liverpool 19, Midfielder

Jürgen Klopp is torn over whether the 19-year-old should go out on loan but unequivocal about what the future holds for the gifted winger. “Sheyi is a wonderful player,” he said: “And his future is 100% at Liverpool.” Ojo has made 11 appearances for Klopp’s team, impressing on both flanks, and performed well in England’s run to the European Under-19 Championship semi-finals. The former MK Dons prospect rejected Klopp’s offer of a post-Euros holiday to joinLiverpool on their pre-season tour of the United States and made an impact in the games against Roma and Milan.

Matt Smith’s winner for Fulham ends Newcastle’s hopes on opening night

The eyes of the world were glued to the greatest sporting event of them all and the carnival atmosphere pulsed. Welcome back, English football, you have been missed. This was the night when Rafael Benítez and Newcastle United were supposed to flex their muscles and show their Championship-winning intent. Instead, it was one in which they endured what the manager described as a “wake-up call”.

Newcastle were second-best in all areas to Fulham and Benítez was not about to complain about the non-award of two strong penalty appeals for handball. He criticised his team for their inability to keep the ball up front or win the second balls in midfield and his parting shot summed things up: “We have to realise there is work to be done.”

The Spaniard had included five of his eight new signings, while there was no place for Moussa Sissoko, with the official explanation being that he lacked match fitness, rather than the desire to play on for the club in the face of transfer interest surrounding him. It was Fulham that brought the strongest new look. Slavisa Jokanovic included all eight of his own summer signings and, inspired by one of them, the quick and direct striker, Sone Aluko, they earned a deserved victory.

The London club had stood as something of a cautionary tale to Newcastle. Since their relegation from the Premier League, they had finished 17th and 20th at this level. It should not go unnoticed that they had lost their best two players from last season – the strikers Ross McCormack andMoussa Dembélé – but Jokanovic could end the evening by talking of having seen a “serious football team” come together.

Fulham reminded their visitors of why this division is such a cut-throat place with a performance of grit, organisation and energy, garnished by flashes of exuberance, particularly from Aluko. There was also the jaw-dropping piece of skill on 81 minutes from the Belgian right-back, Denis Odoi, which epitomised their rising levels of confidence. He spun and used the back of his shoulder to flick the ball around Paul Dummett before running on to it and away.

On what became a pulsating occasion, Matt Smith scored the winner with a powerful header from Tom Cairney’s outswinging corner in first-half stoppage time. The Newcastle inquest will centre upon why the striker, who is hardly difficult to spot inside the box, was granted such space. He was Jamaal Lascelles’s man but, perhaps, Dummett’s slip provided a distraction. Jokanovic was also delighted by the clean sheet. Fulham had found them difficult to come by last season.

It was not Newcastle’s night. Despite the best efforts of Matt Ritchie, they could not find a way to goal and they were left to lament the waving away of their penalty shouts. The first one in the 35th minute was clearcut. Ritchie stood a high cross back from the left and when Ryan Tunnicliffe leapt to block with his arm, the Fulham midfielder felt the ball hit his hand.

The second came in the last minute and, again, Ritchie was involved. His shot was goal-bound only for Tomas Kalas to fling himself in front of it. There appeared to be contact with the Fulham player’s hand. “The first one was clear,” Benítez said. “The second one depends on the referee, but no excuses.”

Fulham could point to their own penalty appeals, although they were less wholehearted. Both of them involved Aluko. He was caught by Grant Hanley in the first half, with the Newcastle defender appearing to have got something on the ball first, while after the interval Hanley seemed to nudge him as he bore down on a Smith knock-down.

Fulham made it a blood and thunder kind of occasion and for many of the Newcastle players, who might have been used to the Premier League, it was a jolt. Time on the ball was at a premium – just ask Ayoze Pérez. For much of the first half, it had felt like a question of waiting for a football match to break out but, amid the intensity, there were moments of composure from Cairney and his towering midfield colleague, Kevin McDonald.

Newcastle went close on 53 minutes when Vurnon Anita crossed and Ritchie drew a reflex save out of David Button and the game’s final quarter was studded with action at both ends. Ritchie worked Button from distance and Rolando Aarons, the substitute, miskicked when well placed while Scott Malone shot wide and Floyd Ayité was denied by Matz Sels after tricking his way through.

The Sky TV cameras were all over Benítez, shadowing him on the long walks between the tunnel in the corner of the stadium and the bench on the far side. He is the biggest name not only at Newcastle but in the division. On this occasion, they captured his frustration.

Agent insists Oghenekaro Etebo has joined CD Feirense in Portugal

The midfielder's agent insists he has completed a move to Portugal amidst claims by Warri Wolves he is yet to be transferred

Oghenekaro Etebo’s proposed move to Portuguese side Clube Desportivo Feirense is still very much alive, with the transfer window set to officially close in Portugal in the next 48 hours, the player’s agent claims.
Endurance Ogbemudia, Etebo’s agent and advisor has stressed that the striker’s transfer to the Segunda Liga side from Warri Wolves is already in the bag, having penned a two-and-a-half-year deal, and he will be jetting out to Portugal in the coming days.
“Etebo is still expecting his visa from the Portuguese embassy, by the grace of God if the visa comes out he'll travel to Portugal,” Ogbemudia explained to Goal .
“He has already signed a two-and -a-half year contract effective January 10, 2016 to June 30, 2018. The deal is 99.99 percent concluded, CD Feirense have all documentations.”
The Nigeria Under-23 striker had been linked with possible moves to Esperance and CS Sfaxien in Tunisia and Ismaily in Egypt, before he committed his future to CD Feirense.
“One of the major reasons Etebo rejected those offers is that the owner of Feirense had a long chat with him and told him of his plans for the club.
“The offer from Feirense was more realistic than the other options available. He explained that he wants to bring the club to limelight by signing Nigerian stars.
“They want to gain promotion to the elite division at the end of this season, Kunle Soname is truthful to his words,” Ogbemudia concluded.

Etebo rose to prominence at the Africa Under-23 Cup of Nations last December and was subsequently rewarded for his outstanding performance, with CAF naming him the Most Promising Talent in Africa early last month.

Etebo: I'm not chasing personal Olympics glory

Having helped the Dream Team VI secure victory in their first game, the forward admits he would rather win the gold medal than go after personal honour

Oghenekaro Etebo has set his sights on winning the Olympics gold medal after leading Nigeria to victory against Japan on Friday.
The forward was in blistering form as he powered four goals past goalkeeper Masatoshi Kushibiki as the Dream Team VI silenced the Asians 5-4 at the Arena Amazonia, Manaus.
The 20-year-old who is expected to lead Samson Siasia’s forward line against Sweden on Sunday revealed that it would be a futile exercise scoring goals aplenty without winning the top prize.
 "Scoring all the goals in this competition and not winning the gold medal would have amounted to a waste of effort and that's not my target,” Etebo told NFF website.
“Yes, it would be great to see my efforts contributing to the success of the team, but if it will not lead us to the gold, then I don't want it."

The Portuguese based forward who becomes the first African to score four goals in a football game at the Olympics also praised coach Siasia for his role as a father.

From plane to pitch, Nigeria football team wins Rio 2016 Olympic opener

The Nigeria team faced the uncomfortable situation of spending the day of its debut at the Olympics aboard an airplane on a more than six-hour flight.

The Nigerian men’s football team didn’t show any fatigue from a last-minute trip that brought the players to Brazil just hours before their Rio Olympics opener, beating Japan 5-4 Thursday night.

A mix-up at the airport forced Nigeria to make a late flight from Atlanta to Brazil. The team arrived in the jungle city of Manaus about six hours before overcoming jet lag and the heat and humidity in the Amazon city to win a thrilling game.

The team faced the uncomfortable situation of spending the day of its debut at the Olympics aboard an airplane on a more than six-hour flight and facing a Japan team that was in Brazil for several days preparing for the contest.

There are conflicting reports about how the team ended up in this position.

Bunmi Jinadu, founder of United football Africa, disputed reports that the team missed its original flight because of a money issue between the Nigerian government and a charter company. Delta Air Lines cited a “communications mix-up” that grounded the team’s original Friday flight.

Jinadu said the problem stemmed from poor planning and coordination on the part of the Nigerian team in leaving Atlanta, where it has been training to prepare for the games. He said the team had assumed it could simply buy plane tickets to Rio at the last minute _ just like Nigerians do in their home country to book travel.

They then encountered a crush of travelers and lack of flights at the busy Atlanta airport, where several Brazil-bound trips were originating. The team thought it had a backup plan on Wednesday, but the plane wasn’t big enough to accommodate the team, Jinadu said.

The flight the team finally boarded was on a chartered Delta jet. A spokesperson for Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines said it stepped in to help the team get to its destination _ free of charge _ after learning of the flight issue.

The plane normally is used to transport NBA teams, and the same aircraft will fly the U.S. men’s basketball team back to the U.S. after the Olympics.

Atlanta was the site of Nigeria’s greatest football triumph as it won the gold medal there in the 1996 Olympics.

“This came to our attention on the 20th anniversary of the Nigerian football team’s win at the Atlanta games,” said Delta spokesperson Betsy Talton. “Everyone was happy to help them with another miracle by getting them to Manaus.”

Jinadu said the mood remained upbeat among the players as they headed to Brazil at the last minute.

“Nigeria has tough skin,” he said. “All the players playing on this team know this is their livelihood and they have been overly anxious to get to Rio.”

It’s not the first time an African football team had to make a last-minute flight for a high-profile match in Brazil.

In 2014, Cameroon’s World Cup team refused to board a plane to take them to Brazil because of a dispute over bonus payments for the tournament. Their national football federation took out a loan to meet their demands, and the team caught a later flight.

26 Golden Eaglets Players Fail MRI Test

No fewer than 26 out of the 60 Golden Eaglets players failed the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan ahead of Saturday’s CAF U-17 AFCON qualifier against the junior Mena of Niger Republic in Abuja.

According to report, almost the starting XI players have been affected by the mandatory MRI scan test. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) employed the services of independent doctors to oversee the after; of which an Egyptian doctor supervised Nigeria’s screening exercise last week.

It becomes more worrisome the rate at which the players failed the test, which has questioned the selection process of coaches in charge of the team, having selected players outside the age limit for the cadet championship; like it happened in the previous years. Several of the players were in tears and total shock when the final results came through this morning. The affected players have since quit the team’s training camp in Abuja for their various bases.

Nigeria will be hugely depleted for Saturday’s U17 AFCON qualifier at home against Niger after a staggering 26 players out of 60 failed the mandatory MRI screening conducted last week. Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets’ are the current champions and have won the FIFA U17 World Cupa record five times – 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015 respectively.

Four United names dropped by Mourinho

Bastian Schweinsteiger, Adnan Januzaj, Andreas Pereira and Paddy McNair have all been left out of the Manchester United team for Wayne Rooney’s testimonial.

Speculation surrounding their future continues with manager Jose Mourinho reportedly set to axe a number of his stars ahead of the new season.

Schweinsteiger was banished to the reserves earlier this week and is thought to have played his final game for the Red Devils.

The others have reportedly been told to find new clubs.

The real reason why Babangida toppled my government in 1985: Buhari

Thirty-wo years after the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari was ousted from office as then military head of state in a putsch led by  Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retired), the President has offered what was really behind his being pushed aside by the top echelon of the military at the time.

Babangida was the chief of army staff until he toppled Buhari who was the head of state and installed his team.

According to Buhari,   he was kicked out of office on August 27, 1985 by the then Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, because he was fighting corruption.

Buhari, who was the military head of state for 18 months, spoke an exclusive with The Interview Magazine.

The president  said the then Head of Military Intelligence, Aliyu Gusau, was allegedly involved in some sharp practices and he had recommended his sack from the military leadership, pointing out that Buhari  he insisted on Gusau's removal was because he did not want his anti-corruption war to appear one-sided.

But, that according to him, was to cost him his position as the President as Gusau, Babangida and other officers banded together to oust him.

Buhari while reacting to a December 2015 interview by Babangida in which he (Babangida) said the plan to remove Gusau had nothing to do with the 1985 coup, said that leaving Gasau unpunished would have sent negative signals about his fairness.

He explained, “I learnt that Gen. Ali Gusau, who was in charge of intelligence, took an import licence from the Ministry of Commerce, which was supplies, and gave it to Alhaji Mai Deribe. It was worth N100, 000, a lot of money then.

“When I discovered this, I confronted them and took the case to the army council. Gen. Malu was the Chief of Defence Staff; Gen. Babangida was the Chief of Army Staff; Tunde Idiagbon was the Chief of Staff, Defence Headquarters and I was the Head of State.

“I said if I didn't punish Gusau, it would create a problem for us. It is North versus South; majority versus minority; Muslim versus Christian. That was what it showed.

“So, I said Gen. Ali Gusau had to go. He was the Chief of Intelligence. That was why Babangida got some officers to remove me. Let him repeat his own story. Ali Gusau is still alive.”

He also spoke about the 2016 budget fiasco, which resulted in avoidable delays in the passage of the budget and the ripple effects of such delays which are seen in the economy today.

For him, that development is a thing of the past and  would never happen again.

On the  critics who accuse him of not having an economic team, he has this to say:  “What do they mean by team? The Vice-President heads our Economic Management Team. You have a finance minister, a budget and planning minister; a minister of trade and industry and investment; a governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, a national economic adviser and others and yet some people still ask for a team.

“We will listen to everybody but we are averse to economic teams whose private sector members frequently steer government policy to suit their own narrow interests rather than the overall national interest.”

MEND working to free Henry Okah, avengers' affiliate tells FG

A new twist has emerged from the crisis in the Niger Delta region as Ultimate Warriors of Niger Delta ( UWND) , an affiliate of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) , alleged on Sunday that the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) , which recently unveiled the names of some respected leaders from the region to negotiate on behalf of militants, is only working to free Henry and Charles Okah.

MEND had earlier in the day confirmed that it was in talks with the Federal Government to end attacks on oil pipelines in the Niger Delta region and urged the Federal Government to ignore NDA, whose members it described as criminals.

In their response to the characterization of NDA members as criminals by MEND, UWND accused it of only being interested in freeing its leader Henry Okah, who is presently languishing in a South African jail and his brother, Charles, who is being held at the Kuje Prison in Abuja.

The militant group said in a statement by Sibiri Taiowoh, its spokesman, that it would not be part of the MEND Aaron Team, as there was no longer any militant group called MEND in the region.

According to UWND, the current MEND otherwise called Aaron Team 2 was a concoction of the Okah brothers and family, adding that it has not given them (MEND) the go ahead to negotiate for them.

“Our attention have been drawn to statement credited to defunct MEND that is now an internet-based group of jobbers and we want to let the public know that the MEND that we know under which the likes of Tompolo, Boyloaf and other ex-warlords operated has since be disbanded by the group of ex-agitators who were registered under the Amnesty Programme.

“The sole aim of this so-called MEND and the flaunted Aaron Team is to get Henry Okah and Charles Okah pardoned under the Presidential Amnesty Programme. But they have forgotten that the Okah brothers were actually the ones who tried to sabotage the amnesty programme initiated by late President Yar'Adua and former President Goodluck Jonathan,” UWND said.

While accusing MEND of trying to sneak into the renewed militancy through the back door, the militant group added, “We are against the MEND Aaron Team arrangement because it is utterly against our mission and their aims is in conflict with ours.

“What they are pushing for is freedom for the Okahs which they trying to use to sabotage our agitations for resource control, rapid development, and freedom for the poor people of the Niger Delta.”

“MEND was nowhere when this new face of the struggle started so they should stop trying to lord over us. What is happening is that MEND is trying to leverage on the renewed crisis to press for the release of the Okahs through the Amnesty Programme which the duo failed to support at inception.

“We pity the statesmen that the so-called MEND is assembling under their concocted Aaron Team 2. It is better they all back out from the Aaron Team plot because the government is not prepare to commence the dialogue from their perspective.

“We are not going to hand it over to MEND to constitute team for us. If the government truly wants to dialogue; the grandstanding by the so-called MEND might be a clog. This is our position,”.