The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Germany

  • Germany’s Neuer will be first-choice if he makes World Cup – Bierhoff

    Manuel Neuer will be Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper at next month’s FIFA World Cup if he makes the final squad, team manager Oliver Bierhoff said on Thursday.

    The former Germany striker said this even against the background of the fact that the 2014 World Cup winner has not played a competitive game since September.

    Neuer missed almost the entire season after breaking a bone in his foot and undergoing surgery.

    His comeback for Bayern Munich was repeatedly delayed and the 32-year-old has had no match practice ahead of the tournament starting in Russia on June 14.

    He played in both recent training matches against Germany’s Under-20 team at their training base in Italy and is set to play in their friendly international against Austria on Saturday.

    Read Also: Phil Jones out of Super Eagles Friendly

    “Manuel will go to the World Cup as our number one,” Bierhoff told reporters at their training camp in Eppan, northern Italy. “If he makes the squad, then Marc-Andre (ter Stegen) will be number two.”

    There are four goalkeepers, including FC Barcelona’s ter Stegen, Paris St Germain’s Kevin Trapp and Bayer Leverkusen’s Bernd Leno, in coach Joachim Loew’s 27-man preliminary squad, preparing in the Italian Alps.

    He will cut four players, including one goalkeeper, on Monday for his final 23.

    “Manuel is already full on track. He does not need to get back on it. All the players have left a big impression here and it is as very difficult decision,” Bierhoff said.

    “On the evening before the team announcement there will be the final thoughts among the coaching staff. By noon the next day the players will be informed.”

    The Germans also expect Chancellor Angela Merkel to drop in on their camp this week.

    “My information is that on Sunday she will drop by. Before our training camp we visited her and she had hinted that she wanted to say hello without too much fanfare,” Bierhoff said.

    “It’s kind of a tradition. It is nice to hear from her and how she sees the team’s situation going into the tournament.”

    The Germans, who also face Saudi Arabia in Leverkusen on June 8 in their final warm-up match, are in World Cup Group F with Sweden, South Korea and Mexico.

    The tournament starts on June 14.

    NAN

  • Germany trains 10,000 youths in vocational education

    The German government trained 10,000 youths in vocational education between June 2016 and this month, an official of the German National Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Mr Horst Bauem-feind, has said.

    He made this known in Abeokuta at the closing ceremony of the programme.

    Bauemfeind explained that this was part of the 1974 bilateral agreement between the two countries.

    He said the project, organised by GIZ and implemented under the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TEVET) programme, held in Ogun and Plateau states for two years.

    The GIZ official explained that 4,782 youths were trained in Ogun State while 5218 in Plateau, adding that 39 per cent of the beneficiaries were women.

    He recalled that his team at the inception of the project in 2016, toured vocational centres and technical colleges in Ogun to identify training needs and subsequently developed programme strategies.

    The German explained that the training focused on the construction and agricultural sectors with modules developed for specific areas, such as soil testing, masonry, entrepreneurship, pedagogy and irrigation.

    He explained that training guides had also been developed for the modules and would soon be distributed to partners and other stakeholders for sustainability.

    “We believe that the training will be sustained after we might have pulled out because we have laid the necessary foundation by exposing the beneficiaries to the German entrepreneurship training model known as “Creating Competency for Competition” (C3).

    The National TEVET expert for Ogun, Mr Ibrahim Aliyu, said the team faced the challenge of convincing the youth of the need to acquire vocational skills and to adapt to global best practices.

    Aliyu added that motivation for training for the youth had been funding, adding that the financial support from partners had also been very low.

    He said the feedback from the field and the testimonies of the beneficiaries had, however, proven that the training had been quite impactful.

    “When you consider the total participation, better skills acquired, improved income for beneficiaries and the total multiplier effects among other parameters, one can safely conclude that the programme has been successful,” he said.

    He disclosed that the team had secured approval of the German government to run a second phase of the programme from another four years from July to June 2022.

    Aliyu said the second phase of the training, which would still run in Ogun and Plateau, would be expanded to cover more areas in the agricultural and construction sectors.

     

  • Germany plans repatriation of 30, 000 Nigerian migrants

    The German government has come up with new process that would facilitate the smooth repatriation of over 30,000 irregular Nigerian migrants back to the country.

    In the new process, the final repatriation will be done by the Germans and not in collaboration with the Nigerian government, which is the current practice.

    However, this is after the legal end of the process has been completed by both countries.

    The new proposal is as a result of perceived failures and slow pace of the current system of repatriation, that involves both the participation of Nigerian embassies and consulate and the German immigration office.

    Disclosing this yesterday, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama said the Germans seems not to have confidence in the current process, as only 2000 out of the 30,000 have returned home.

    Onyeama spoke when during an audience with the Security Adviser to the President of Germany, Dr Jan Hecker and his team in Abuja.

    Onyeama said, “They don’t have enough faith and confidence in the process that we have at the moment for the repatriation process. Some of the delays they believed is with the mission and consulate in Germany.

    “They want to propose a completely new process of repatriation, known as Return and Re-admission”.

    Onyeama stated that in the last two years only about 200 Nigerians have returned to the country out of about 30,000, noting that the Germans are, “not happy that the system we have in place at the moment is certainly not working to their satisfaction”.

    The new process, the minister said essentially entails that once all legal processes have been exhausted, Nigeria should trust them (Germany), to make right decision on whom should be repatriated.

    He added that once the decision is taken, Germany would bring the affected persons to Nigeria without the involvement of Nigeria’s mission in Germany.

    “They will bring them here to Nigeria and say we have gone through a process in Germany, these people are your nationals, they have exhausted all the legal processes please take them. And it will be here on Nigeria territory that any possibility will then exist to say maybe that one is not or this one is not.

     

    Onyeama, while describing the proposed process as a complete transformation of the current process noted that Germany aside from issuing travel documents to those to be repatriated, would also be responsible for their travels.

    However, for the new process to come into being, Nigeria would have to agree and carry out some changes in her laws. “The point I made is to say that it would require changes in our laws of travel documents for Nigerians and our laws to wave any role for our embassies and consulates in the repatriation of Nigerians, he said.

    “ At the moment our mission and embassies are involved in the process, they issue travel documents when a final decision has been taken for repatriation”, he noted.

    Earlier, Jan Hecker, said he was in Nigeria to see how both countries can intensify their bilateral relations and achieve good result, particularly on the issue of migration.

    He was accompanied on the visit by the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Bernhard Schlagheck and other officials.

     

     

  • Germany set to repatriate 30,000 Nigerian migrants

    Germany has proposed a new process that will facilitate the smooth repatriation of over 30,000 illegal Nigerian migrants back to the country.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama said this when he received the Security Adviser to the President of Germany, Dr Jan Hecker, and his team in Abuja.

    The new proposal, according to Onyeama, is predicated on perceived failures and slow pace of the current system of repatriation.

    This, he said, involved both the participation of Nigerian embassies and consulate and the German immigration office.

    “They don’t have enough faith and confidence in the process that we have at the moment for the repatriation process.

    ”Some of the delays they believed are with the mission and consulate in Germany.

    ” They want to propose a completely new process of repatriation, known as Return and Re-admission,”  he said.

    Onyeama said that in the last two years only about 200 Nigerians had returned to the country out of about 30,000.

    ”Germans were not happy that the system we have in place at the moment is certainly not working to their satisfaction,” he said.

    According to him, the new process essentially entails that once all legal processes have been exhausted, Nigeria should trust them (Germany), to make right decision on whom should be repatriated.

    He added that once the decision was taken, Germany would bring the affected persons to Nigeria without the involvement of Nigeria’s mission in Germany.

    “They will bring them here to Nigeria and say we have gone through a process in Germany; these people are your nationals, they have exhausted all the legal processes, please take them.

    ”And it will be here on Nigeria territory that any possibility will then exist to say maybe that one is not or this one is not.

    Onyeama, while describing the proposed process as a complete transformation of the current process, noted that Germany aside from issuing travel documents to those to be repatriated, would also be responsible for their travels.

    However, for the new process to come into being, Nigeria would have to agree and carry out some changes in her laws.

    Earlier, Jan Hecker said he was in Nigeria to see how both countries could intensify their bilateral relations and achieve good result, particularly on migration.

    He was accompanied on the visit by the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Bernhard Schlagheck and other officials.

  • Iran’s Supreme Leader :Trump’s speech ‘silly, superficial’

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he is withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was “silly and superficial”, Iran’s Supreme Leader said on Wednesday, according to his official website.

    “You heard last night that the president of America made some silly and superficial comments,” said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

    “He had maybe more than 10 lies in his comments. He threatened the regime and the people, saying I’ll do this and that.

    “Mr Trump I tell you on behalf of the Iranian people: You’ve made a mistake.”

    Khamenei, the highest authority in Iran, reluctantly gave his backing for the Iran nuclear deal and has publicly criticized the U.S. multiple times for not following through on its promises under the agreement.

    On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced the U. S. would no longer remain part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and promised  to re-impose the highest level of economic sanctions against Iran in response to Tehran’s development of  nuclear programme.

    “Egypt stresses importance of the involvement of the concerned Arab states in any dialogue on the future
    of the Middle East, particularly, in relation to possible changes to the Iranian nuclear deal,” the
    Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

    Read Also: European leaders spurn Trump’s withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal

    Cairo urged Iran and regional states to avoid any steps that could undermine security in the Middle East or
    lead to military confrontations, according to the statement.

    Meanwhile, the UAE welcomed Trump’s decision to withdraw from the deal, as it did not guarantee that Iran
    would not acquire nuclear weapon in future, according to the country’s Foreign Ministry’s statement.

    The decision was also welcomed by Saudi Arabia and Israel.

    In response to the U.S. move, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that Tehran was not going to
    withdraw from the JCPOA, and that the agreement remained between Iran and the five remaining participants
    of the deal. He noted that the United States never fulfilled the obligations under the nuclear deal, unlike Iran.

    On July 14, 2015, the European Union and the P5+1 group of countries – China, Germany, France, Russia, the
    UK and the U.S., signed the JCPOA with Iran.

    The accord stipulated a gradual lifting of anti-Iranian sanctions in exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear
    programme and allowing inspections to ensure that the nature of the program is peaceful.

    NAN

     

     

  • Nadal back from injury for Davis Cup quarter-finals

     World number two Rafael Nadal has been named in Spain’s squad for their Davis Cup World Group quarter-final against Germany in Valencia next month.

    The 31-year-old has not played in the competition since helping five-time winners Spain return to the top tier of world tennis with victory in India in 2016.

    Nadal was named in Captain Sergi Bruguera’s team alongside Pablo Busta, Bautista Agut, David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez.

    Read Also: Injured Rafael Nadal retires in fifth set

    Nadal, 16-times Grand Slam champion, withdrew from the Australian Open in January after reaching the last eight due to an upper quad problem.

    He had been expected to return at the Mexican Open at the end of February, but missed his fifth tournament in a row.

    The Davis Cup quarter-finals take place over the weekend of April 6 to April 8.

    NAN

  • Drunk pilot detained, passengers to wait three days in Germany

    PASSENGERS on flight TP523, which was cancelled on Friday after a co-pilot was found to be drunk, will likely have to wait until tomorrow to be flown from Stuttgart to Lisbon.

    Monday was “at the moment, the first day with seats available,” TAP Air Portugal said via Twitter, answering a tweet from a passenger who had complained about the long wait for a substitute flight.

    Passengers stayed in a hotel Friday night as they waited to be rescheduled because there wasn’t a replacement crew available to fly them to Lisbon.

    The flight from Stuttgart to Lisbon was stopped shortly before take-off on Friday when an airport worker discovered that the co-pilot seemed unsteady on his feet and reeked of alcohol, police and the state prosecutor’s office said.

    The worker informed airport police and aviation authorities, who determined that the 40-year-old was unfit to fly. He was detained and bail was set at 10,000 euros ($12,300 dollars).

    He was also asked to surrender his flying licence.

    Police declined to give any additional details.

    The 106 passengers had to be put up in hotels because the airline could not provide a fresh flight crew at short notice.

  • FIFA women’s rankings: Germany drop to third, Nigeria now 38th

    Germany dropped out of the top two in the FIFA women’s rankings for the first time since 2009 after a poor run of results while the U.S. retained top spot.

    The U.S. team was unbeaten as they won this month’s She Believes Cup on home soil, while Germany failed to register a single victory at the annual invitational tournament.

    England’s second place in the tournament under new manager Phil Neville secured those No.2 spot in the rankings for the first time.

    France rose to fifth after finishing third in the She Believes Cup.

    Netherlands remain at No.7 while Sweden rose to ninth after being named joint winners of the Algarve Cup.

    Canada, who finished fifth at the event, climbed to fourth in the rankings.

    Japan, who won the World Cup in 2011 and finished runners-up in 2015, has dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since 2007.

    They lost two of their four matches this year.

    Cyprus Cup champions Spain rose to 12th, their best yet.

    Read Also: Nigeria’s U-20 arrive Polkwane For FIFA Women’s W/Cup Qualifier

    Nigeria dropped one step to 38 on the rankings, after amassing 1608 points, five less than the 1613 it gathered a month earlier.

    But Nigeria is still Africa’s number one on the CAF rankings; with Ghana and Cameroon maintain their second and third places respectively.

    Top 10 FIFA women’s rankings (previous positions in brackets):

    U.S. (1)

    England (3)

    Germany (2)

    Canada (5)

    France (6)

    Australia (4)

    Netherlands (7)

    Brazil (8)

    Sweden (10)

    Korea DPR (11)

    NAN

  • Better late than never for Alonso after Spain call-up

    Marcos Alonso is keen to prove himself at international level after the Chelsea defender earned his first senior Spain call-up for the upcoming friendlies against Germany and Argentina.

    The left-back has featured in 40 of the London side’s 49 total fixtures this season, with his solid form rewarded by a place in Coach Julen Lopetegui’s 24-man squad.

    The last international appearance for the 27-year-old Alonso, who joined Chelsea in 2016, was for the Spanish under-19 team in 2009.

    “Whether it’s late or not, the important thing is that I’m here,” Alonso said.

    “My focus was on doing well at Chelsea and this was a welcome surprise. This is a reward for the work I’ve done in recent years… I’m thrilled and looking forward to this experience.

    Read Also: Alonso: Gerrard good enough for Spain team

    “It’s a chance to prove myself and for me to adapt quickly to the side, and hopefully, to return to the national team more times.”

    Should Alonso earn his first cap, he would follow in the footsteps of both his grandfather and father in representing Spain at senior level.

    Spain will travel to face World Cup holders Germany in Duesseldorf on Friday before hosting Argentina at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid on Tuesday.

    “They’re two very important matches to prepare for what’s to come. They’re nice games, against the world champions and the runners-up, special for any player,” Alonso added.

    NAN

  • France 2018: Falconets draw Germany, China, Haiti

    France 2018: Falconets draw Germany, China, Haiti

    Nigeria’s Under 20 girls, Falconets have been drawn in the same pool as perennial foes Germany, China and Haiti in Group D of the 9th FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup taking place in France from August 5 to 24.

    At the Draw Ceremony held inside the Opera House, Rennes yesterday, Africa’s other flagbearers Ghana were thrown into the same Group A as hosts France, New Zealand and The Netherlands.

    Group B is headed by Korea DPR and also has England, Mexico and Brazil, while USA, Japan, Paraguay and Spain will battle it out in Group C.

    Two -time runners up Falconets begin their campaign with a huge test, against Germany at the Stade de Marville in Saint-Malo on August 6. Germany edged Nigeria to lift the trophy the two times Nigeria got to the championship final- in 2010 in Germany and 2014 in Canada.

    Chris Danjuma’s maidens will then be up against Haiti three days later at the same venue, before moving to Dinan-Léhon, where they play China at the Stade du Clos Gastel on August 13.

    Ghana will go up against hosts France in the tournament’s opening match in Vannes August 5. Concarneau is the other city that will host matches during the championship.

    Nigeria’s Group D opponents Haiti will be taking part in their first ever FIFA women’s tournament, and FIFA General Secretary Fatma Samoura said: “I’d like to send my regards and warmly congratulate Haiti, who just qualified for their first ever FIFA women’s tournament, on their remarkable road to France. Well done, girls, for taking this huge step.

    “It’s so encouraging to see these young girls pointing the way forward through football. For FIFA, increasing the participation of women in football is an imperative. The development of women’s football is at the top of our list of priorities in our strategy ‘FIFA 2.0: The Vision for Future’.”France will also host the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals.