The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Adeyinka Akintunde

  • AFCON 2019: Eagles are condemned to win – Pinnick

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    Amaju Pinnick, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has assured Nigerians that the Africa Cup of Nations will land in Abuja in July, as the Super Eagles are condemned to win the tournament this summer.

    Pinnick, in a monitored interview over the weekend, said that the Nigerian team will not be going to Egypt to aim the second round, or quarter-finals, as the trophy remains the focus of the team.

    According to Pinnick, “If you have a son, you will not want him to be an armed robber, you will prefer him being a medical doctor, so we want to win the tournament, not just participate. We are condemned to going to Egypt to win the AFCON and that is our focus. We are not just going to play for round of sixteen or quarter finals, we have won it before, we can do it again. We are working and praying towards it, and we believe that we will do well.

    Speaking on what the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has done so far to help the preparations for the Super Eagles, Pinnick, who doubles as the President of the Africa Cup of Nations committee revealed that chartered flights and a training camp have been secured for the boys.

    Read Also: It’s time for Nigeria to win AFCON again, says Westerhof

    “On the part of the federation, we have done everything that we need to do. We have secured a chartered flight that will be taking them straight from Asaba to Cairo, and we have secured a training camp in Egypt. The boys will not need to go to Abu Dhabi, Turkey or France, before the competition begins, so acclimatization will start early” he said

    Amaju Pinnick further denied forcing the coach of the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr to include striker, Kelechi Iheanacho on the team to fly to Egypt.  He said he only advised the coach, leaving him to take the final decision.

    In his words “We have a contract with the coach, such that after the selection of players is done, he sends to me, and I send it to the technical committee, without altering it, and then it is sent back to the coach, before he releases it to the public.

    “However, I advised the coach on Iheanacho, and I don’t have any regret about it. It was the same thing I did during the time of Ahmed Musa, when he was facing problems in his marriage and in Leicester City. I told the coach that if a football club does not help the player, it is the country that should help the player. Now look at what Musa did at the World Cup. It is the same thing with Iheanacho, there are some reasons he left Pep Guardiola and Manchester City which I don’t want to say, but I am happy that other players are also saying it. He went to Leicester City and is adjusting, and he is young and an enterprising left-footed player.  If he does not go to the AFCON now, when will he go? He can even be the hero of the tournament at the end of the day.

    “But I told the coach that he has the final decision to make. If I was the President of Nigeria, and I see an issue to advice the coach on, I would have done the same.”

    The Super Eagles began camping for the 2019 AFCON on Sunday, and will play a friendly match against Zimbabwe in Asaba on June 8, before jetting out to Cairo, where they face Senegal on June 16th in another friendly game. They have been grouped to face Burundi, Guinea and Madagascar in the Nations Cup, which holds from June 21st to July 19th.

  • Facts about the UEFA Champions League Final

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    The dramatic 2018/2019 UEFA Champions League trophy will be heading to England, with Tottenham Hotspurs and Liverpool fighting to be king of Europe club football. The battle takes place this night at the Estadio Metropolitano, which is the home ground of Atlético Madrid

    Liverpool will be aiming to win their sixth UCL title. The last they won was on that memorable night in 2005, when they came back from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan on penalties. They have since appeared in two UCL finals but lost in 2007 to AC Milan, and in 2018 to Real Madrid.

    Tottenham Hotspurs on their part partake in the last fight for Europe’s club glory for the first time ever.

    Both teams got to the final after miraculous semi-final comebacks: Liverpool overturning a 3-0 first leg loss against FC Barcelona to win 4-0 in the second leg, and Tottenham Hotspurs also recording a comeback, which included a last minute goal, to defeat Ajax Amsterdam. They had lost the first leg 1-0, and were 2-0 down in the first half of the second leg, but Lucas Moura needed the second forty-five minutes to turn the table around, scoring a hat-trick to seal a place in Madrid, setting up the second all-English final in the Champions League history

    There are however some memorable facts to record about the UEFA Champions League final

    1. This will be the 26th UEFA Champions League Final since the competition changed from the European Cup in 1992.

    2. The UEFA Champions League final is the most watched annual sporting event in the world. The 2013 final that featured Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in Wembley, England was aired in more than 200 countries with 360 million TV viewers, which included a record of 23,78 million viewers in Germany.

    3. A total of 22 clubs have won the Champions League/European Cup. If Tottenham Hotspurs wins tonight, they would be the 23rd name on the Champions League trophy. Real Madrid are the highest winners, haven won the competition 13 times, including the inaugural competition.

    4. This is the seventh final since 2000 involving two clubs from the same country. Real Madrid were victorious in all-Spanish affairs in 2000 against Valencia, 2014 and 2016 both against Atlético Madrid while AC Milan beat fellow Italian side Juventus on penalties in 2003 and Bayern München overcame Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 all-German final.

    5. This is the second all-English final ever, the first was in 2008 between Manchester United and Chelsea.

    6. Cristiano Ronaldo remains the first player to score a goal in three UCL finals – in 2008 for Manchester United, and in 2014 and 2017 for Real Madrid. He is also the only player that scored in two different UCL finals with two different teams.

    Read Also: Greatest comebacks in the UEFA Champions League

    7.    Clarence Seedorf is the only player to win the trophy with three different clubs – Ajax (1995), Real Madrid (1998), and Milan (2003 and 2007).

    8. The quickest goal in a UEFA Champions League final was scored in 51 seconds by Paolo Maldini in 2005.

    9. No player has ever scored a hat-trick (three goals) in the UEFA Champions League final. The highest so far remains two goals from a player, and so far, they are Daniele Massaro, Karl-Heinz Riedle, Hernán Crespo, Filippo Inzaghi, Diego Milito and Cristiano Ronaldo

    10.  Tottenham are now the eighth English club to appear in a European Cup final, more than any other country; Italy and Germany are next on the list with six each.

    11.  In total Tottenham and Liverpool have met 170 times in all competitions, the Reds winning 79 to Spurs’ 48; there have been 43 draws.

    12. UEFA retails the original trophy at all times, but any team that wins three times in a row or five years overall gets the right to retain a full-sized replica. This honour is so far earned by six clubs – Real Madrid, AC Milan, Liverpool, Ajax, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona. The trophy weighs 7,5kg, which equals roughly to 17 footballs.

  • How to prevent building collapse

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    In the last three months, many buildings have collapsed around the country, the latest being the collapse suffered in  Ezenwa Street Onitsha, where a four-storey building collapsed, killing six people.

    The incidence of March 13, 2019 remains fresh in the memory of Lagosians and Nigerians in general, where 20 people died and 45 people suffered series of injuries at 63 Massey Street in Ita-Faaji, Lagos Island, after a three storey-building collapsed.

    Research reveals that there have been 175 building collapses across the country, from 1971 to 2016, resulting in 1,455 deaths.

    And of the 175 building collapse, 83 occurred in Lagos. Of the 1,455 recorded deaths from building collapse nationwide, 702 were in Lagos.

    These tragedies have been partly caused by the bad works done by unqualified building contractors and the use of sub-standard materials for construction. Solutions are however provided on how these tragedies can be avoided.

    Read Also: Six trapped, two rescued in Onitsha building collapse

    The use of quality building materials is one major way to prevent a building collapse.

    Experts say that one of the major causes of building collapse is the failure and lack lustre effort of building contractors to pay strict adherence to quality building materials.

    A research by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria show that poor quality building materials, especially the cements, are major causes of building collapse in Nigeria.

    To therefore ensure the avoidance of building collapse, builders should always ensure that the right materials and cement specification is used for the appropriate construction types.

    Many people build without hiring the services of a competent building contractor. The engagement of a competent contractor is very important for building construction.

    In using local builders, they must be able to do the job. A good way to discover this is to check their previous work, speak with their previous clients, and check their staff strength including number of skilled and unskilled workers.

    Poor maintenance culture is another reason buildings collapse. Even the best constructed buildings need constant attention and if the attention is delayed, what starts as something very minor can turn quickly into an expensive man-made disaster.

    It should be noted that all buildings deteriorate and so maintenance is necessary. Experts believe that maintenance work commences on the day the contractor lives the site.

    Soil testing is very important before a building is erected. It enables the builders to determine soil strata, foundation type and where to lay the foundation for the building proper.

    Places like Lagos have swampy grounds and many estates are built on recovered grounds. This means that the foundation of such buildings needs to be strong and carried out after a proper soil test.

    It is also important to have the right design structure for a building. These designs must be reviewed and approved by appropriate authorities before construction begins.

    There are many designs in Nigeria that are copied from other countries without considering the conditions that led to such design.

    The national building code must be implemented to the fullest. It is a document expected to regulate the conduct and operations of professionals and stakeholders in the construction industry.

    It is believed that the absence of a National Building Code has been largely responsible for the incessant incidence of collapsed buildings being witnessed across the country and that passing the national building code into law will regulate the use of non-professionals in the building and ensure the compliance by contractors to stop the use of untested products and materials to prevent structural downfalls later on.

  • Expect tough AFCON, Appiah tells players

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    Former Ghanaian midfielder, Stephen Appiah, has advised participating teams and players to prepare well for the African Cup of Nations holding in Egypt.

    He said only good teams would do well in the apex football competition in the continent.

    Appiah, who was part of the Black Stars team to the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, said in an interview over the weekend at the Agege Stadium, Lagos that he wishes all the teams  operate at their best because it is not going to be easy to win.

    Read Also: 2019 AFCON: Rohr lists Mikel, 23 others

    “The Africa Cup of Nations has been expanded from 16 to 24 teams. We just have to accept it. Players have to be ready for the Nations Cup this time around. It is not like going straight to the quarter-finals, there is the Round of 16 to cross, so it will be difficult.

    “But I wish all the participating countries the best of luck in the tournament,” he stated.

    Appiah, when asked who will win the 2019 AFCON, said : “Ghana will definitely win the Nations Cup”.

  • Build Agege Bridge for us, Small Doctor urges Ambode

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    Nigerian music artiste, Adekunle Temitope, popularly known as Small Doctor has urged the governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to impress it on the incoming administration to take the building of the Agege Bridge as a top priority.

    He made this appeal at the Agege Stadium on Saturday, as African Legends gathered for a testimonial match in honour of the governor, whose term in office finishes on May 29.

    Small Doctor said “Neighboring areas have their own bridges. I want to be taking pictures at Agege Pen-Cinema Bridge, and be sending it worldwide. Please impress it on the next governor to take that project as priority.”

    Meanwhile, the match in honour of the governor had the biggest African and Nigerian footballers to have played the round leather game.

    The Nigerian team, coached by 1996 Olympic gold medal winning coach, Bonfere Jo, had Austin  ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Augustine Eguavoen, Obafemi Martins, Daniel Amokachi, Mutiu Adepoju, Emmanuel Amunike, Taribo West, Samson Siasia, Garba Lawal, Peter Rufai and Ike Shorunmu, Victor Ikpeba.

    Others included Julius Aghahowa, Tijani Babangida, Finidi George and Sam Sodje,

    The deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shuaibu and Ayo Makun, popularly known as AY also had a feel of the game.

    El Hadji Diouf, Titi Kamara, Stephen Appiah, Loumana Tresor Lua Lua,  Christian Karembeu, Didier Zokora,  Seydou Keita and Khalilou Fadiga  represented the African team, and they were coached by former Nigeria U-17 Coach, Fanny Anum.

    Read Also: PHOTOS: African football legends honour Ambode

    In the presence of the crowd that thronged the Agege Stadium, Nwankwo Kanu scored the first goal of the match before Titi Kamara equalized for the African legends level within a space of two minutes. Khaliou Fadiga got a second goal for the African Legends, and a foul in the penalty box by Taribo West on El Hadji Diouf led to a penalty that was converted by Titi Kamara which put the African Legends 3-1 ahead at half time.

    In the second half, Garba Lawal fired in a free kick from the edge of the 18-yard to half the deficit for the Nigerian legends. But a cheeky penalty from El Hadji Diouf put the African Legends 4-2 up.

    With the game going to its end, Obafemi Martins charged through the defence of the African Legends and scored a rebound with a header, while a stoppage time goal by comedian, Ayo Makun ensured both team shared the spoils, with the game finishing in a thrilling 4-4 draw.

    Before the match began, Governor  Ambode was given a guard of honour by both teams as he walked through with fireworks display, before he was given the honour of performing  the official kick off for the match.

    Speaking at the end of the match, Nwankwo Kanu said that this match “is just to tell people that football is one. We are united Africans. We must learn to do things together, and appreciate whoever is doing something great amongst us.”

  • Football super stars FIFA U-20 World Cup produced

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    All is set for the 22nd edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup taking place in Poland.

    The competition, which will hold from 23rd May to 15th June, 2019, will see players from all around the world compete for the biggest prize in the youth category.

    It is one tournament the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) uses in discovering talents who turn out to become world class stars.

     It was formerly referred to as the FIFA World Youth Championship until 2005.

    Argentina is the most successful team in this competition, so far with six titles. They are followed by Brazil with five titles. Portugal and Serbia have both won two titles and Ghana is the only African country so far that have won the title- once in 2009.

    There are football legends we know today, produced from this age-grade competition. Notable amongst them are:

    Diego Maradona

    At the 1977 World Youth Championship in Japan, a certain Diego Maradona was discovered.  He won the golden ball of the competition, after scoring six goals, which included the last goal of the competition.

    He went on to win the 1978 FIFA World Cup in his homeland, and in 1986, he scored a controversial, “hand of God goal” and a goal voted in 2002 as the “goal of the century’.

    Maradona, who later in life went on to become the head coach of the national team,  is today regarded by many football writers, players, and fans as the greatest football player of all time.

    Ronaldinho

    Brazilian legend, Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, popularly called Ronaldinho was part of the team that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1997 and graduated to the U-20 competition in Nigeria two years later where Brazil reached the quarter-finals.  He scored three goals in Nigeria ’99, displaying a freakish ability to control and contort the football.

    In 2002, he became a FIFA World Cup winner, scoring a wonder-goal against England in the quarter-finals. He went on to win the 2006 UEFA Champions League title with F Barcelona and was a force to reckon with in World football.

    Angel Di Maria

    Angel Di Maria was called upon to represent Argentina at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada. He scored three goals in process, helping the young Albicelestes win the title.

    He has gone on to feature in big clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester United and Paris Saint German (PSG), where he has so far gotten sixteen goals for the club.

    On the international scene, he scored the goal that won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games and has also represented them at three FIFA World Cups, reaching the final in 2014. He was named on the ten-man shortlist for FIFA’s Golden Ball award for the 2014 World Cup’s tournament’s best player

    Davor Suker

    Davor Suker is remembered for his excellent display for Croatia at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France but his success story dates back to 1987 when he finished as the second highest scorer with six goals at the World Youth Championships in Chile.

    He set a Championship record with 22 goals scored altogether with Yugoslavia going on to win the title with a generation of future talents. He went on to represent Croatia at the 1996 European championship and was part of those named as the Team of the Tournament.

    He scored the bronze-medal winning goal against the Netherlands in the 1998 World Cup, winning the tournament’s top scorer. He later on became the President of the Croatian Football Federation.

    Samson Siasia

    Former Nigerian striker, Samson Siasia was part of the bronze-medal winning team for Nigeria at the 1985 World Youth Championship in the Soviet Union, where he scored a goal against Canada.

    He played 51 international matches for Nigeria, over a period of eleven years, winning the bronze medal at 1992 African Nations Cup in Senegal and the trophy two years later in Tunisa with the Super Eagles. He is referred to as the third leading scorer for the National Team.

    He was later appointed as coach of the U-20 national team, the dream team, and eventually, coach of the Super Eagles

    Read Also: Africa team will lift U-20 World Cup – Garba

    Paul Pogba

    Turkey 2013 produced a certain young boy named Paul Pogba, who was part of the French team that won the tournament.  Pogba, who was made captain, scored the team’s second goal in a 3–1 win.

    He played every minute of all of France’s matches except for the final group match against Spain where he was an unused substitute and was adjudged the best player of the tournament.

    Pogba later went on to represent Manchester United and Juventus, featuring in the 2015 UEFA and also won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with the national team, scoring in the final

    Luis Suarez

    Luis Suarez, a great icon for FC Barcelona and the Uruguay national team, is a product of the 2007 U-20 World Cup in Canada. It was not a great tournament for Suarez as he only scored two goals in Canada against Spain in the group stages and against the United States in the round of sixteen, which they lost, but he was noticed.

    He went on to feature for the national team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he made a major statement, stopping a goal-bound header from Ghana, which would have given Africa a spot in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals for the first time ever.

    Suárez now has 18 trophies to his name, including six league titles and a UEFA Champions League title at club level, and a Copa América with Uruguay, scoring over 400 senior career goals for club and country. He was named player of the tournament IN THE 2011 Copa America, after scoring four goals.

    John Mikel Obi

    John Mikel Obi was a product of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands where he finished as the second best player, behind Lionel Messi. He scored a single goal throughout the tournament, against Switzerland.

    He went on to be a part of the Super Eagles team at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations and also made it to the AFCON in 2013, where Nigeria emerged winners. H was named alongside the team of the tournament.

    He was involved in a controversial transfer issue between Chelsea and Manchester United where he finally settled for the London Club. In 2012, he was a UEFA Champions League winner. He is currently with Middlesbrough, after leaving Tianjin TEDA, where he joined on a free transfer.

    Lionel Messi

    Lionel Messi, current holder of five ballon d’or, was the best player of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship where he scored the two goals that gave Argentina the title, scoring six goals in the process.

    He went on to represent his country at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, at the age of 18, making him the youngest Argentine to play in the World Cup, and he has featured so far in four FIFA World Cups.

    He has been compared with legend, Diego Maradona, who has also referred to him as his successor because of his style of play, as a, left-footed dribbler.

    He joined FC Barcelona in 2004, and has risen to become one of the greatest forces in the Catalan Giants. He has ten La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League trophies and six Copas del Rey titles to his name.

    He has most official goals in a calendar year, and  most hat-tricks in the UEFA Champions Leaguebut still looks forward to winning a major title with his national team after the 2005 World Youth Championship and the 2008 Olympic Games gold medal.

  • Hope for Leah Sharibu as she turns 16

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    Reactions have contained to pour in all over the country, following Leah Sharibu’s 16th birthday today.

    She is seen as a symbol of dogged belief in her faith. Kidnapped on 19th February, 2018 by the Boko Haram terrorists at the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi she remains in captivity after 449 days despite release of her colleagues on 21st March, 2018 after negotiations with the government.

    Her whereabouts remain unknown as it stands despite promises by the federal government to get her released.

    The reason for her continued captivity is her refusal to convert to Islam.

    In celebration of her birthday, the second under Boko Haram’s activity, there have been wild protests and prayer all over the country for her release.

    There are appeals that she should not be forgotten, as she has a long life ahead of them.

    The Leah Sharibu Foundation, Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment (CWEENS) and Param-Mallam Foundation, took to the streets of Jos, marching to the Plateau state House of Assembly to protest for her release.

    Read Also: Easter without Leah Sharibu

    Over 8,000 Nigerians were tweeting about Leah Sharibu, celebrating her birthday such that she became the trending topic on Twitter and other social media platforms in the early hours of Tuesday.

    On her twitter handle, the convener, Bring Back our Girls group and former Presidential Candidate, Oby Ezekwesili said “she went to school, but her desk is still empty. She is sixteen years old today. #NeverToBeForgotten.

    Enough is Enough Nigeria, tweeting, also said: “Today is Leah Sharibu’s 16th birthday & her 449th day in captivity. We call on the government to do more to secure her release. Education is not a crime!”

    Leah herself pleaded to the federal government for her release in August 2018.

    In a 35- second audio, translated from Hausa language, Sharibu said: “I am Leah Sharibu, the girl that was abducted in GGSS Dapchi.

    “I am calling on the government and people of goodwill to intervene to get me out of my current situation.

    “I also plead to the members of the public to help my mother, my father, my younger brother and relatives.

    “Kindly help me out of my predicament. I am begging you to treat me with compassion, I am calling on the government, particularly, the president to pity me and get me out of this serious situation.

    According to the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, there is hope for her release.

    “The lone Dapchi girl, Leah, will not be abandoned. President Buhari assures the Sharibu family that he will continue to do all he can to ensure that they also have cause to rejoice with their daughter soon,” he assured.

  • VAR: A gain or pain to football?

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    When Raheem Sterling scored in the 95th minute of the UEFA Champions League second leg match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspurs at the Etihad, all hell broke loose.

    That goal meant that the Citizens had qualified for the semi-finals, beating the Spurs 5-4 on aggregate. Coach Pep Guardiola ran, jumping and celebrating his victory. Man. City players had gone to celebrate the goal with the English striker.  Even Tottenham fans and players were shocked. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris sat on the floor stunned and fans were seen putting their hands on the head.

    Suddenly, Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir blew the whistle, disallowing the goal. The Video Assistant Referee, a new technology introduced into football had caught Sergio Aguero offside, shortly before giving Sterling the pass that led to the goal.

    Emotions changed immediately from joy to despair for Man. City, and from pain to joy for Tottenham. The English Premier League leaders were dumped out of the competition on away goal rules.

    This is not the first time the VAR would be involved in critical decisions like this. Introduced in England in November 2017 when the Three Lions faced Germany in a friendly match, the VAR is usually handled by a team of three people who work together to review certain decisions made by the main referee by watching video replays of the relevant incidents.

    They comprise of the video assistant referee himself (who will be a current or former referee), his assistant and a replay operator. They are usually situated in a video operation room which is essentially a bank of monitors offering different camera angles.

    There VAR is responsible for four major decisions such as Goals and whether there was a violation during each episode of the attacking phase of play, Penalty decisions, direct red card decisions and mistaken identity in awarding a red or yellow card.

    In consulting the VAR, the center referee stops play after being contacted from the operation room, blowing the whistle and making a sign of a rectangle with his index fingers indicating a video screen.  He goes to the monitor located in the touchline, just beside the team bench, to review the incident alone, and then takes a decision from what he has seen.

    FIFA approved the use of VAR for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in 2018, making the tournament become the first competition to use VAR in full at all matches and in all venues. A total of 455 incidents were checked by the VAR in the competition with twenty decisions reviewed. The first was in the match between France and Australia where Antoine Griezmann was through on goal when he went down under a challenge from Joshua Risdon, with the VAR spotting it out, and the referee Andres Cunha, awarding the penalty.

    There were controversial moments with the VAR during the World Cup. When England met Tunisia in Volgograd in the group stages, England striker Harry Kane was dragged down in the box during corners in what were considered obvious fouls.  Considering the nature of the penalty which was given to Tunisia in the first half, which appeared to be fairly soft, those sat in the VAR booth had no excuse to miss the two incidents. Sadly, they did, and had the Three Lions not won the match, a wide protest against the VAR would have begun that day.

    Another VAR moment happened in the round of sixteen, when Russia met Spain at the Luzhniki stadium. Four days before the Spain/Russia match, the same Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir (in charge of the aforementioned UEFA Champions League match) was at the center when Nigeria played against Argentina at Saint Petersburg.  Marcos Rojo had tried to head the ball, but only managed to nod it onto his own arm. The referee waved away the appeals of Nigeria striker Odion Ighalo, and after he was pressured by captain John Mikel Obi, he went to look at the VAR, but came back refusing to award Nigeria the penalty.

    However, when Spain met Russia at the Luzhniki stadium, Gerard Pique fouled the ball, this time unintentionally. He was on air with Artem Dzyuba who headed the ball on goal, and the ball hit the back of Pique’s hand. The referee awarded a penalty to Russia without consulting the VAR, bringing the decision against Nigeria four days earlier to questioning.

    Arguments have it that the VAR is likely to kill the beautiful game of football. There is a possibility that referees will be afraid and sentimental in making decisions, as they would rely so much on the VAR.

    With football atmosphere always electric, VAR is likely to kill it. Referees going all the time to cross-check decisions before taking decisions will douse the mood and thrill of the beautiful game.

    There is also the sad possibility of not appreciating goals with the introduction of the VAR. With every goal scored, referees would go on to check the goal, and every incident involved. No one is perfect and some things should be allowed to pass without punishments. The VAR will not allow that, thereby killing the joy of the game.

    There is the call for a review of the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), whether it is truly needed in football or not. This is to avoid the joy and passion of the beautiful game suffering an untimely death

  • How to overcome rejection by a crush

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    The story of one Deji Adenuga, who burnt and killed eight family members of a lady simply known as Titi has sent shock waves across the nation.

    Titi had called off the love relationship with him and the fleeing Adenuga thought to pay her back by pouring petrol in her family bedroom while they slept and set it on fire.

    Eight members of her family were burnt beyond recognition.

    According to the Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Police Command, Mr Femi Joseph, Titi is the only survivor of the unfortunate incident for now.

    But she is in critical conditions in the hospital while Adenuga is on the run

    This is one painful situation youths today find themselves. There is the possibility of being in love with someone that does reciprocate.

    It is even possible for a young man to ask a lady for a relationship and she turns his request down.

    There are ways to handle this situation to prevent a severe damage or committing a criminal offence. Some include:

    1.     Give yourself time to grieve: After the rejection, don’t be afraid to feel any emotions that come your way. Sadness, anger, fear, and similar feelings are all natural parts of rejection, and working through them now will make it far easier to move on in the future.

    Don’t be afraid to cry or scream when you’re alone. If you can, talk through your feelings with a close friend, family member or therapist. Sharing your emotions with a supportive, understanding person can make a huge difference in your mental well-being.

    2.    Think about why she said no: Though returning to the rejection may hurt, doing so after grieving can help you better understand what happened and gain some closure. If you believe your crush said no because she dislikes something about you, think about whether it is something you should change or if it is a simple matter of preference.

    Read Also: Lover shoots girlfriend dead in Bayelsa for infidelity

    3.     Be kind to her afterwards: This is sometimes hard to do because if your crush is someone you see a lot, it is normal to experience some awkwardness after a rejection. But nerves will cool down in the long run, and then your normal friendship can resume. Until then, try to be as kind, friendly, and polite to her as you can.

    4.    Keep yourself busy: Try picking up a brand new hobby or an old job that you have not touched in a while. If that is not enough to take your mind off things, try setting a personal goal you want to achieve. The busier you are, the easier time you’ll have getting over the rejection.

    5.    Remember that rejection is not a personal attack: In most cases, romantic rejection is not a criticism of your character. If your crush decides she doesn’t want you, it doesn’t mean she dislikes you or even finds you unattractive. Though every instance of rejection is different, the common thread is that “you” are not rejected.

  • The essence of Easter

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

     

    Easter is a celebration observed by Christians all over the world. It is a season that marks the major essence of the Christian faith, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    As recorded in the Holy Bible, after the fall of man, fellowship was lost between man and God. Man kept on sinning against a holy God, which led to the destruction of the world, by water. A certain man called Noah was however saved, with his family, with God hoping that the new generation would live without sin. But that turned out false, as sin started again, this time from the house of Noah.

    The Bible also tells us of prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Hosea and even John the Baptist who prophesied ahead of time of a coming Messiah, who would take away the sins of the world. The Messiah came, and was named Jesus Christ.

    He lived his life on earth without sin, but according to the plan of God, he was later betrayed with a kiss by one of his disciples after he and his disciples had the “last supper”, accused of claiming to be the son of God, and he was crucified with two thieves.

    Jesus died, and rose again, three days later. He became the ultimate sacrifice of sin, paying the highest price of death, shedding his blood to reconcile man back to God.

    This forms the essence of Easter. It is a period to reflect on Jesus Christ, the savior of mankind, who came to die for the sins of the whole world, so that all men who believe in him, through his death can live a triumphant life on earth, and gain full access to the holy God.

    Easter is usually celebrated somewhere within the first four months of the year. There are some who stay away from meat and pork during the period of the Easter season, especially on Good Friday, the day Jesus died (as widely accepted), unlike the Christmas, where chicken becomes the major food to enjoy. Some Catholic members in Nigeria believe that eating meat or any of those sorts on Good Friday amounts to eating the flesh of Jesus.

    Read Also: Easter: Ambode preaches love, sacrifice, tolerance

    Prominent Nigerians have addressed the nation on the essence of Easter and lessons to learn from it. According to President Muhammadu Buhari, Easter is a time to emulate the love, sacrifice and forgiveness shown by Jesus Christ.

    “The Christian festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ is also a time to emulate the virtues of love, sacrifice, forgiveness, humility, courage and endurance, which Christ embodied and remarkably demonstrated during His earthly ministry. Let us use this auspicious season to show love to our neighbours, and cater to the needs of the less-privileged in our midst.”

    For former President Goodluck Jonathan, there is hope of triumph ahead for the nation, and it will not be wise to give up now.

    “I urge us not to give up on our ourselves and our nation no matter the challenges that confront us today. Through our faith and collective actions, we will overcome the tempests of violence, misery and insecurity that threaten our nation. We are more than conquerors and the future of our nation is bright, if we work as one.

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode told Nigerians to see this season as one “that presents us the viable opportunity to think about how we can help to steer our nation back on the road to peace, stability and prosperity, by working in the spirit of togetherness because no nation can make any meaningful progress in an atmosphere riddled with pockets of violence and killings. This is the time for us to avoid all divisive, parochial, ethnic and religious sentiments and rivalries, and begin to live more harmoniously with one another, as Jesus Christ enjoined us to.”

    Easter is a time of reflection. It is a time to see how best we can reconcile back to Jesus Christ, and live the life he taught us to live, for the world to be better. It is a season of love, sacrifice and forgiveness. It is important to note this fact, and live by it.

    Adeyinka Akintunde is a graduate of Philosophy from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Nigeria. A social commentator and Online Reporter