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  • Falconets to begin world Cup campaign against France on Thursday

    Falconets to begin world Cup campaign against France on Thursday

    Two-time runners-up and one-time semi-finalists in Nigeria are upbeat about scooping the three points when they go up against one of Europe’s top teams, France in the opening match of Group C of this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals in San Jose on Thursday night.

    Head Coach Christopher Danjuma minces no words about his faith in the high-scoring Falconets delivering on Thursday and afterward: “The World Cup stage is about players’ mentality; we have prepared the team very well in that area. You have to go out there, aim to be the best, and work hard to be the best. It is no picnic. I believe that these girls will do Nigeria proud.

    “Playing seven matches in the African qualifying series toughened the team very well, and we have also worked on their psyche. Nigeria has never been an also-ran at this level. Having reached the Final twice and made the semi-finals once, the Falconets have pedigree in this championship. We cannot afford to falter. We will take it one match at a time, beginning with the game against France.”

    Danjuma, who also led the team to the last tournament in France four years ago, where they lost narrowly to Spain (1-2) in the quarter-finals, is banking on the experience of the captain and central defender Oluwatosin Demehin, the lively midfield orchestra of Esther Onyenezide, Deborah Abiodun and Adoo Yina, and the ever-potent forward line of Flourish Sabastine, Mercy Idoko and Joy Jerry.

    First choice Monle Oyono is expected to be in goal against the French side, with wingbacks Omowunmi Oshobukola and Jumoke Alani also favored to retain their places.

    In the African qualifying series, the rampant Falconets hit 11 goals past the hapless Central African Republic in the second round, and spanked the Republic of Congo 4-0 in Brazzaville –with the consequence that the Congolese failed to turn up for the return leg in Nigeria – and then routed Cameroon 3-0 on aggregate in the fourth round. The final qualifying fixture against Senegal was effectively over after Flourish Sabastine hit a hat-trick away in Thies before the home team got a consolation goal from the spot late in the game.

    On Thursday, Danjuma will be goading his girls to summon every sinew of strength, skill, and savvy in them to overpower France and collect three points that will stabilize their campaign and empower their quest to go all the way.

    “It will not be easy but we have what is known as the special ‘Nigeria spirit’ and we will go in there with confidence and belief in what we can do. We will play to our strengths – firm at the back and clinical at the fore.”

    FALCONETS’ GROUP C GAMES

     Vs France – Thursday, 11th August – Estadio Nacional – 12 midnight

     Vs Korea Republic – Sunday, 14th August – Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto – 9 pm

     Vs Canada – Thursday, 18th August – Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto – 3 am      

    ALL THE GROUPS

    GROUP A: Costa Rica, Australia, Spain, Brazil

     GROUP B: Germany, Colombia, New Zealand, Mexico

     GROUP C: France, Nigeria, Canada, Korea Republic

     GROUP D: Japan, The Netherlands, Ghana, USA

  • Qatar 2022: Deschamps confident Pogba will make World Cup

    Qatar 2022: Deschamps confident Pogba will make World Cup

    Didier Deschamps remains confident Paul Pogba will be fit to play for France at the World Cup in spite of missing the start of the season through injury.

    Pogba sustained a knee problem in pre-season after returning to Juventus from Manchester United on a free transfer.

    There were early suggestions surgery could see the World Cup winner miss Qatar 2022, but he has opted instead for therapy that aims to ensure a far swifter return.

    Pogba is set to again be paired with N’Golo Kante in the France midfield in November, although the Chelsea man has not been without his own injury issues in recent seasons.

    “We’re talking about players who are in high demand – two players who have a big experience, leaders,” Deschamps told Le Parisien of the duo.

    “It is important that they are there, but we are never safe – hence the need to prepare younger players.

    “I am obviously in contact with Paul. His participation in the World Cup, today, is not questioned.”

    Antoine Griezmann is another player still seen as key to Deschamps’ plans, despite scoring only three goals in LaLiga last season.

    “He’s not a robot. Obviously the head controls the legs,” Deschamps explained. “But every player encounters, sooner or later, a period of playing less well.

    “This translates, then, into a loss of confidence.

    “Antoine has had high-intensity seasons. Before his physical issue at the beginning of the year [a thigh injury], he had always been spared from injuries during his career.

    “A few months earlier, he had changed clubs. External elements may also have impacted it.

    “I know him well. He has a big mind. He needed to regenerate and will do everything to return to his best level. He represents a plus for the France team.”

    For now the focus is on getting France in the best condition heading into the World Cup, even as former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane continues to be linked to Deschamps’ job.

    The France boss, for his part, is not worried, saying: “I’ve always put the France team above me, above everything.

    “Today, the place is not free, since I occupy it with my staff. Afterwards, everyone has the freedom to say what he wants and how he wants. On me, it has no impact.

    “The interest, today, for the players and the whole squad, is to be efficient at the World Cup. Anything that can defeat this common goal is not necessarily a good thing.”

  • French President, Macron criticised over invite to Saudi crown prince

    French President, Macron criticised over invite to Saudi crown prince

    French environmental politician, Yannick Jadot on Thursday expressed criticism on President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to host Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to dinner in the Elysée Palace.

    “Is the dismembered body of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi on the menu for the evening meal between Macron and MBS’’ Jadot, who contested the first round of the presidential elections earlier this year, queried on Twitter.

    The member of the European Parliament said oil and weapons were on the agenda, the exact opposite of the climate chaos and peace and human rights that should be there.

    No details of Thursday evening’s meeting between the French president and Saudi Arabia’s effective ruler, who is widely referred to as MBS, were released by the hosts ahead of the dinner.

    The Saudi royal court said bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest would be discussed.

    The meeting also came in for criticism from left-wing politicians in France and from Amnesty International.

    The crown prince is currently on his first trip to the European Union since Khashoggi’s murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018.

    Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence has attributed the killing directly to orders issued by the crown prince, who denies responsibility.

    However, Bin Salman visited Greece on Tuesday, where he met Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and discussed investment deals and defence cooperation.

    After previously keeping him at arm’s length, U.S. President Joe Biden fist bumped the crown prince when the two men met in the oil-rich kingdom earlier this month.

    The meeting was seen as an acknowledgement by Biden that Washington and its allies need the crown prince’s help on a range of issues, from climbing energy prices to the threat posed by Iran.

  • Ogun State Governor, Abiodun meets with Tinubu in France

    Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has visited the former Governor of Lagos State and the presidential flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, in Paris, France.

    Recall that Tinubu went to appeal to Dapo Abiodun in Ogun state to seek his support prior to the APC special convention.

    Abiodun took to his social media handles to share pictures of him and Tinubu with the caption “I spent quality time with Tinubu, the national leader of the APC”

    According to him, the two of them had rubbed minds on numerous party and national issues during their meeting.

    “Spent quality time with our party leader and Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rub minds on numerous party and National issues,” Abiodun said.

  • Allowance: Gov. Ganduje approves N33M for Kano students in France

    As part of the counter-part funding under the France-Kano state Government Scholarship Scheme, Gov. Ganduje Abdullahi of Kano state has approved the sum of 33 million naira as upkeep allowance for post-graduate students from the state currently studying in France.

    The Commissioner for Higher Education, Dr Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, on Sunday made this known in a statement.

    “It would be recalled that in line with the government’s numerous strive for improving the quality and standard of Higher Education in the State, the governor on behalf of the State had signed a bilateral agreement, with the Government of France to train scholars from Kano in French Universities,” the statement said.

    “These scholars are in reputable and world-class universities, with special interests in Science and Technology.”

    The statement said through this scheme, hundreds of scholars drawn from institutions of higher learning in the State had completed and acquired Masters and PhD degrees, just as many others are on the final lap of completing their programmes.

     

  • APC presidential candidate, Tinubu off to France, gives reasons

    APC presidential candidate, Tinubu off to France, gives reasons

    The All Progressives Congress, (APC) 2023 presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has travelled out of the country to France.

    According to a statement by Mr. Tunde Rahman in the Media Office on Monday in Abuja, Tinubu travelled early Monday morning after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa.

    “He is off to Paris, France to hold some important meetings, the APC standard bearer is expected back in the country before Sallah celebration,” Rahman said in the statement.

    He said before his departure, Tinubu attended the public presentation of a book titled “Mr. Speaker” and the launch of a legislative mentoring initiative in commemoration of the 60th birthday of Speaker of House Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

    Recall that Tinubu emerged as APC Feb. 25, 2023 presidential candidate on June 8 at the party’s presidential primary and special convention.

    The former two-term Lagos State governor had since his emergence embarked on a series of thank you and reconciliation visits to those who contested against him at the party’s primaries.

    This, included the seven aspirants who stepped down for him.

    Meanwhile, the APC Buhari campaign office located at the Abuja Central Area, had been redesigned and renamed Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Campaign Office by the party’s leadership ahead of the electioneering.

  • Zidane turns down PSG offer to replace Pochettino

    Zidane turns down PSG offer to replace Pochettino

    Former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has snubbed an offer from PSG to become their next manager.

    According to a local reporter Romain Molina claims Zizou has turned down the opportunity to replace Mauricio Pochettino.

    Former Tottenham boss Pochettino had his contract terminated on Sunday.

    Molina added that time is out running out to make a new appointment.

    Jose Mourinho has been linked, as well as Nice manager Christophe Galtier – who has been championed by new sporting director Luis Campos.

  • Police arrest 68 amid UEFA Champions League final chaos in Paris

    Police arrest 68 amid UEFA Champions League final chaos in Paris

    Police in Paris said that 68 people were arrested in the French capital after the UEFA Champions League final match, which saw Real Madrid defeat Liverpool 1-0 on Saturday.

    In the early hours of Sunday, the Paris Police Prefecture said that it carried out 68 arrests in connection to the match.

    Local media also cited authorities reporting that 238 interventions were carried out by firefighters for minor injuries.

    Earlier the police force had stated that “a number of supporters without tickets for the match obtained fake tickets and disturbed the access to the Stade de France”.

    The police added that these fans’ pressure to make it into the stadium resulted in a nearly 40-minute delay.

    Organisers first explained the delay with security issues and then with fans arriving late.

    UEFA said that “the turnstiles at the Liverpool end became blocked by thousands of fans who had purchased fake tickets which did not work in the turnstiles.

    “This created a build-up of fans trying to get in. As a result, the kick-off was delayed by 35 minutes to allow as many fans as possible with genuine tickets to gain access.”

    UEFA confirmed that police dispersed fans with tear gas.

    It added: “UEFA is sympathetic to those affected by these events and will further review these matters urgently together with the French police and authorities, and with the French Football Federation (FFF).”

    Liverpool meanwhile said they have “officially requested a formal investigation into the causes of these unacceptable issues.”

  • Mali accuse France of violating its airspace to spy on troops

    Mali accuse France of violating its airspace to spy on troops

    Mali’s military rulers have accused the French army of repeatedly violating controlled airspace over the country’s centre and north to “spy” on its forces, the latest escalation of tensions between Paris and Bamako.

    In a statement, the military government said that over 50 breaches of the West African country’s airspace had been recorded since the start of the year, mainly by French-operated aircraft.

    Souring relations between France and the military junta in its former colony have pushed it to withdraw troops that were deployed in 2013 to push back militants linked to al Qaeda, and later to Islamic State.

    Militants have since regained ground.

    One recent violation, the statement said, was the “illegal” flying of a drone on April 20 over the northern military base of Gossi, a day after France handed the site back to Mali as part of its ongoing troop withdrawal.

    It said French aircraft then flew back and forth over a convoy of Malian troops heading to Gossi on April 21.

    The accusations follow a blame game last week over drone images of soldiers near Gossi covering corpses with sand that circulated on social media, with one Twitter user presenting himself as a retired Mali officer accusing French troops.

    France’s response was that it was being framed. Its army said the men in the drone video were Russian mercenaries accused of helping Mali’s military junta fight militants and summarily executing civilians in the process.

    But Mali’s army last week said its soldiers discovered a mass grave near Gossi after taking over the base, and that the putrefied state of the bodies showed the killings had occurred much earlier.

    “French forces are guilty of subversion in publishing fake mounted images in order to accuse the (Malian army) of killing civilians,” the government said in Tuesday’s statement.

    France’s foreign ministry and military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    The French decision to pull out of Mali came as relations with the junta that seized power in 2020 deteriorated.

    Also on Wednesday, Mali’s High Communications Authority announced the definitive suspension of French state-funded international news outlets RFI and France 24, a decision the France Medias Monde organisation said it would contest.

    The junta had initially suspended broadcasts in March over what it said were false allegations of army abuses.

  • 2nd term: Macron defeats Le Pen in French presidential election

    2nd term: Macron defeats Le Pen in French presidential election

    French President Emmanuel Macron defeated his far-right rival Marine Le Pen on Sunday by a comfortable margin, securing a second term and heading off what would have been a political earthquake.

    Cheers of joy erupted as the results appeared on a giant screen at the Champ de Mars park at the foot of the Eiffel tower, where Macron supporters waved French and EU flags. People hugged each other and chanted “Macron”.

    In contrast, a gathering of dejected Le Pen supporters erupted in boos and whistles at a sprawling reception hall on the outskirts of Paris.

    Le Pen admitted defeat but vowed to keep up the fight, with the June parliamentary elections in mind.

    “I will never abandon the French,” she said to supporters chanting “Marine! Marine!”

    The first pollsters’ projections showed Macron securing around 57-58 per cent of the vote.

    Such estimates are normally accurate but may be fine-tuned as official results come in from around the country throughout the evening.

    But Macron can expect little to no grace period after many, especially on the left only voted for him reluctantly to block the far-right from winning.

    Protests that marred part of his first mandate could erupt again quite quickly, as he tries to press on with pro-business reforms.

    “We will not spoil the victory … but (Le Pen’s) National Rally has its highest score ever,” Health Minister Olivier Veran told BFM TV.

    “There will be continuity in government policy because the president has been reelected.

    ”But we have also heard the French people’s message,” he added, pledging change.

    A first major challenge will be the parliamentary elections in June and opposition parties on the left and right will immediately start a major push to try to vote in a parliament and government opposed to Macron.

    Philippe Lagrue, 63, technical director at a theatre in Paris, said earlier in the day he had voted for Macron after voting for the hard-left Jean-Luc Melenchon in the first round.

    He said he would vote for Melenchon again in June. “Melenchon Prime Minister. That would be fun. Macron would be upset, but that’s the point.”

    Ifop, Elabe, OpinionWay and Ipsos pollsters projected a 57.6-58.2 per cent win for Macron.

    Victory for the centrist, pro-European Union Macron was immediately hailed by allies as a reprieve for mainstream politics that have been rocked in recent years by Britain’s exit from the European Union, the 2016 election of Donald Trump and the rise of a new generation of nationalist leaders.

    “Bravo Emmanuel,” European Council President Charles Michel, wrote on Twitter.

    “In this turbulent period, we need a solid Europe and a France totally committed to a more sovereign and more strategic European Union,” he added.

    Macron will join a small club – only two French presidents before him have managed to secure a second term.

    But his margin of victory looks to be tighter than when he first beat Le Pen in 2017, underlining how many French remain unimpressed with him and his domestic record.

    That disillusion was reflected in turnout figures, with France’s main polling institutes saying the abstention rate would likely settle around 28 per cent, the highest since 1969.

    Against a backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing Western sanctions that have exacerbated a surge in fuel prices, Le Pen’s campaign homed in on the rising cost of living as Macron’s weak point.

    She promised sharp cuts to fuel tax, zero-percent sales tax on essential items from pasta to diapers, income exemptions for young workers and a “French first” stance on jobs and welfare.

    Macron meanwhile pointed to her past admiration for Russia’s Vladimir Putin as showing she could not be trusted on the world stage, while insisting she still harboured plans to pull France out of the European Union – something she denies.
    In the latter part of the campaign as he sought the backing of left-leaning voters, Macron played down an earlier promise to make the French work longer, saying he was open to discussion on plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 65.

    In the end, as viewer surveys after last week’s fractious televised debate between the two testified, Le Pen’s policies – which included a proposal to ban people from wearing Muslim headscarves in public – remained too extreme for many French.

    Ex-merchant banker Macron’s decision to run for the presidency in 2017 and set up his own grass roots movement from scratch up-ended the old certainties about French politics – something that may come back to bite him in June’s parliamentary elections.