VIT-NAIJA

Former Nigerian internationals, Austin Jay Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu are set to stage a return from retirement for Star Lager Beer League, tagged: “Star Music The Fusion.” Former African Footballer of the Year, Victor Ikpeba, ace sport journalists, top music stars and DJ’s were also listed for hostilities. Speaking at the draw ceremony held in Lagos, the Portfolio Manager, National Premium, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Tokunbo Adodo said: “Our goal is to bring all of our target audience under one umbrella. We know what our consumers love and we would love to connect with them via their passions and interests. We see Star Music The Fusion as a way to further strengthen our commitment to millions of fans and bring quality enjoyment of football and music with unrivalled consumer interaction experience. “With Star Music The Fusion, Star Lager Beer will connect with as many music and football fans as possible as the platform will play on the strength of its partnerships with Europe...

    Jose Mourinho admits he doesn’t know whether Zlatan Ibrahimovic will stay at Manchester United beyond this season, but claims he would be ‘happy’ even if the star leaves.                                                     Ibrahimovic and Mourinho Ibrahimovic joined United on a one-year deal last summer, and leads the club’s scoring charts with 15 Premier League goals. But Mourinho insisted that if the Swede wants to leave he will not stand in his way.  ‘I am just calm and waiting for the decision,’ Mourinho told Sky Sports. ‘If the decision is for him to stay and he is happy with that, we are delighted with that. ‘If his decision is to leave and try to find a different challenge, I will be also happy for him.’ United are currently fifth in the Premier League, with Ibrahimovic having contributed 26 goals in all competitions – 16...

Africa will get nine slots in the proposed FIFA World Cup 48-team format billed to take in 2026.    Six direct slots each will be awarded to CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, eight to the AFC and 16 to UEFA, while the OFC will receive one direct slot. The two remaining teams will be decided by a six nation play-off. The Bureau of the FIFA Council has recommended UEFA receive 16 slots in the new 48-team World Cup format, which starts from 2026, while proposing a six-team play-off to decide the final two places. The Bureau, which comprises FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the presidents of the six confederations, met in Zurich and agreed on the slot allocation for the expanded event. The decision will now be submitted to the FIFA Council for ratification in May. The proposed allocation includes automatic qualification for the host nation, with its slot taken from the quota of its confederation, while the play-off tournament for the two unallocated slots will feature one team per...

By Ifreke Inyang   Argentina legend Diego Maradona has said that he will speak to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, to see if Lionel Messi‘s four-match ban can be reduced. Messi was handed the punishment over a foul-mouthed rant at a match official. The incident happened during the Albiceleste’s 1-0 win over Chile, in which Messi scored the winning goal from the penalty spot. The Barcelona superstar was adjudged to have used abusive language towards an assistant referee during the match. Messi has been fined 10,000 Swiss francs (£8,100) and will miss World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay, Venezuela and Peru. The next game he will be available for, is the final match against Ecuador. “Messi’s ban is excessive and terrible,” Maradona told Buenos Aires-based radio station La Oral Deportiva.   Very shortly I will meet with Infantino in Bahrain and as usual, I will tell him what I think.” Messi in a letter to FIFA, claimed that he did not insult...

By Ifreke Inyang   Amed John Terry, John Obi Mikel and Kaka as some of the footballers that inspired him. The 20-year-old grew up supporting Chelsea as a young boy in Lagos, before he eventually went on to make it big in the game. His impressive displays for the Foxes since January, earned him his first call to the Super Eagles this month. “I have always looked up to Mikel,” Ndidi told Goal. “When he was at Chelsea, I was at Nath Boys [as a youth player] and I have always liked him as a player. I have always been crazy about Mikel. The way he plays is amazing. “When me and my friends talk about players, we always want to talk about Mikel. He is so important for Nigerian football. I actually liked two players from outside of Nigeria [when I was younger]. Kaka and John Terry. “Because I was a central defender, I was watching John Terry. The way he was leading Chelsea and putting his heart into it made me like him. I liked Chelsea, with Mikel and Terry. “They were...

By Fikayo Olowolagba    Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, has reacted to a fan who called her out for deceiving Nigerians about her marriage to her estranged husband, Olakunle Churchhill whom she called a Psychopath. The reaction came after the actress shared a post on her Instagram page @Tontolet about how being abused by a psychopath is not obvious until when relationship is over. The fan @gbolly_12 commented, saying the fact that she lied about her marriage was an abuse on all Nigerians. “The fact you lied to your followers about being in a comfortable relationship and using your media power to hype the so called ‘Psychopath’ is an abuse on everybody. “Yea it feels so good when you start dating him but I’m sure you can tell at some point that it doesn’t feel right but you chose to push on with it. “Madam Move on with your life shit happens.

By Ifreke Inyang     Mesut Ozil has claimed that he is always the player singled out when Arsenal are struggling. The German playmaker has failed to recapture his best form, in what has been a miserable season for the Gunners. Arsenal crashed out of the Champions League after a 10-2 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich and face a uphill task to qualify for next season’s competition. Ozil feels he is usually the player fans and media come for, when the team is underperforming. “People know what I have achieved,” the 28-year-old told Bild. “That I am a World Cup winner, played for Real Madrid, set up 20 goals last season [in all competitions]. “When the team’s on a bad run, somebody needs to be singled out, sadly most of the time it’s me.” Ozil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in 2013 and, while a return to the Spanish capital is unlikely, the playmaker remains loyal to the Liga leaders. “Of course my heart beats for Real,” he said. “I played there and still h...

By Ifreke Inyang   Monaco forward, Kylian Mbappe, has admitted he will not join Real Madrid just yet, because he is not ready. The 18-year-old is the most sought after teenager in Europe and has been linked with Arsenal and Manchester United too. Mbappe made his France debut in their 2-0 defeat to Spain at the Stade de France on Tuesday night and was asked about his future after the match. “Today, I am at Monaco. Real Madrid, we will see later,” Mbappe told reporters. “For the moment, I am at Monaco… Real Madrid is a great club. But I still have a lot to learn. “Real Madrid is a club that you should go to when you are mature, at the top of your game. “I do not think that I am at the top of my game yet.” Attachments area

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  Brazil became the first team to qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday after beating Paraguay to clinch an eighth consecutive victory as Argentina’s campaign stumbled after the shock suspension of Lionel Messi. Five-time champions Brazil had been left waiting in suspense after goals from Neymar, Philippe Coutinho and Marcelo handed them a 3-0 win over the Paraguayans at Sao Paulo’s Arena Corinthians. But Uruguay’s upset 2-1 defeat to Peru in the day’s final South American qualifier combined with other results meant Brazil are mathematically guaranteed a place at next year’s finals in Russia. The qualification completes an astonishing turnaround for Brazil, who less than a year ago were in crisis after taking only nine points from six games. That run of results had left the Brazilians outside the qualifying places in sixth place. The further embarrassment of a first round exit at last year’s Copa America Centenario only deepened the sense of despondency. However t...

   Barcelona star Lionel Messi was suspended for four Argentina matches by FIFA on Tuesday for swearing at an assistant referee, a ban that will see the striker miss out on decisive qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup. Messi was found guilty of “having directed insulting words at an assistant referee” in the World Cup qualifier against Chile last Thursday which Argentina won 1-0 thanks to a penalty from the Barcelona hitman. Messi will be forced to sit out Argentina’s next South American qualifying game against Bolivia, scheduled for later on Tuesday, with the remainder of the suspension served over his country’s subsequent World Cup qualifiers: in Uruguay on August 31, at home to Venezuela on September 5 and against Peru on October 5.  He was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs (9,350 euros, $10,170), with FIFA saying: “This decision is in line with the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s previous rulings in similar cases.” “We are going to appeal,” said Armando Perez, p...

      Arsenal youngster, Chuba Akpom, is set to commit his international future to Nigeria according to The Independent of London. Although Chuba Akpom has represented England at most youth levels, he is set to join the list of English-born youngsters declaring to play for Nigeria. The Arsenal striker has been training with the Nigeria squad in Barnet this week, as part of the Nigerian Football Federation’s (NFF) initiative to recruit the next generation of young players.    The NFF has been pushing to recruit players for their 2018 World Cup and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations campaigns. Akpom is currently on loan with Brighton and Hove Albion in the Championship and seems likely to join Arsenal teammate and long-term friend, Alex Iwobi in playing for Nigeria. The Independent revealed this week that after years of underperformance, the NFF is determined to make the most of its English-based players ahead of the 2018 World Cup and the 2019 Africa ...

  New African football chief Ahmad Ahmad gave his backing on Tuesday to a potential bid from Morocco to host the 2026 World Cup.                                                Ahmad Ahmad, New CAF President   The north African country has bid to host the global showpiece on four previous occasions but missed out on the 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2010 edition.   “We are convinced that Morocco could organise this competition just as was done by South Africa in 2010,” said Ahmad, who was elected president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) earlier this month to replace Issa Hayatou, at a press conference in Marrakesh. Ahmad’s backing comes just a few months after FIFA president Gianni Infantino declared that the country has the necessary “infrastructure and organisational capacity” to host the World Cup. But a year ago, FIFA had accepted t...

  By Babajide Komolafe     The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Tuesday reduced the exchange rate at which bureaux de change (BDCs) sells dollars to end-users to N362 per dollar from N399 per dollar.   Confirming this development to Vanguard, President, Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe said that the CBN said that the apex bank will now sell dollars to BDCs at N360 per dollar, while BDCs are to sell to the end-users at maximum of N362 per dollar. Also confirming this development in a statement issued Tuesday, CBN Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor, said the objective of the new forex sale policy was to ensure a convergence of the rates in the interbank and BDC, stressing that the CBN remained committed to ensuring transparency in the market as well as fairness to end-users, many of who hitherto experienced challenges in accessing foreign exchange. He therefore urged licensed BDCs to p...

   A renowned comedian, Atunyota Alleluya Akorobomerere, otherwise called Ali Baba, has said that he started making his millions as a stand-up comedian in the late 90’s when the profession was still in its developing stage in the country. Ali Baba said, on Monday, in Lagos, that comedy business started paying off when people knew little about the profession. The comedian spoke against the backdrop of an award conferred on him by The Verdant Zeal Quantum Awards at the prestigious Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, on March 22. “When I got my first endorsement and I was paid about N82,000, someone who saw me with the cheque asked what I do for a living and when I said I am a comedian he was baffled. “The person did not even have an idea that I had got an endorsement from Guinness Nigeria Plc that was worth about N1.2 million. We don’t need to shout over this. “The pay from show business is pronounced because some of the younger ones now flaunt their wealth...