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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

The Flying Eagles again lost on 4-5 penalty shoot –out as South Africa’s Amajita picked up the bronze medals of the 2019 Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Niamey.

Failure to put away a number of opportunities that came their way proved fatal for the seven –time champions, who endured the humiliation of finishing outside the medals’ range at the tournament for the first time.

Peter Eletu, who was starting for the first time as the Nigerian camp tried to lift the morale of the boys following Wednesday’s penalty shoot-out defeat to Mali in the semi finals, fluffed what was a good opportunity in the 32nd minute when the ball fell invitingly to him just outside the Amajita’s eighteen –yard box during an onslaught. He instead hooked the ball listlessly over the bar.

The unflattering features of poor passes, aimless shots and pathetic lack of marksmanship that saw the Flying Eagles end up with the wrong end of the stick on Wednesday were again in full flow, and the encounter was a stinging reminder of the fact that Aigbogun and his assistants have to re-jig the squad before the World Cup finals in Poland in three months’s time.

Alhassan Adamu, who scored the goal against host nation Niger Republic that made the Flying Eagles finish at the top of Group A and earn a place at the World Cup, fluffed Nigeria’s first kick in the shoot –out, following a dismal show by both teams in regulation time.

South Africa scored all their kicks to pocket the bronze medal and of course the bragging rights after both teams finished their Group A clash scoreless on Matchday 2. The competition comes to an end on Sunday, as the impressive Lionceau du Teranga lock horns with Mali’s Junior Eagles in the final match.
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.
Mayweather merciless against Japanese kickboxer Nasukawa

Floyd Mayweather beat Japanese kickboxing phenomenon Tenshin Nasukawa by a technical knockout on Monday in the first round of a New Year’s Eve “exhibition” bout that brought the US boxing superstar out of retirement.
Mayweather floored Nasukawa, a kickboxer less than half his age, three times in the first round of the three-round contest before the Japanese fighter’s trainer rushed in to stop the fight.
The American boxer at first appeared not to be taking the fight seriously, grinning at his opponent and aiming only soft punches at him.
But he then demonstrated his power, launching a series of jabs and hooks to the head of the 20-year-old Japanese fighter, sending him to the canvas after just one minute.
Sensing his opponent was struggling, Mayweather stepped in for the kill, unleashing a flurry of punches that left Nasukawa reeling again within just two minutes of the bout and facing his second standing count.
With the Japanese fighter clearly struggling to stay on his feet, the trainer rushed in and stopped the fight with just one minute of the first round remaining.
The 41-year-old Mayweather carried a more than 4kg (9lb) weight advantage into the ring.
The rules were very strictly defined: three, three minute bouts and boxing only — kickboxer Nasukawa was reportedly facing a $5 million fine if he aimed a kick at Mayweather.
There were no judges, with only a knockout or technical knockout considered a victory in the bout, promoted as a pure exhibition match.
Crucially, the match did not feature on the record of either man, allowing them both to retain a cherished unbeaten record.
But Mayweather will walk away with $88m in his pocket, according to reports.
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Brazilian Thiago Silva has become the latest Paris Saint-Germain player to have his property robbed during a match, police confirmed on Sunday.

Robbers broke into his home in the upmarket 16th arrondissement of Paris while he was playing in PSG’s Ligue 1 match against Nantes at the nearby Parc des Princes.

The thieves are believed to have got away with items worth hundreds of thousands of euros.

Last month, burglars broke into the apartment of striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting while he was in action for PSG against Liverpool in the Champions League.

On that occasion, a police source said, the thieves escaped with loot worth around 600,000 euros ($682,000), mostly in jewels and handbags from the FLAt near the Parc des Princes.

In December 2017, the Paris apartment of then PSG coach Unai Emery, now at Arsenal, was burgled as his team played Strasbourg in the French Cup.
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Mesut Ozil has been dropped in the Arsenal squad that coach Unai Emery is ranging against Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-final of Carabao Cup.
He is also not on the bench.
The Arsenal Squad
Arsenal are hosting the Spurs at Emirates and eyebrows were raised on why the German, who is their most expensive player is not playing.
According to reports, Arsenal said Ozil was dropped for tactical reasons.
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

Lionel Messi collected a record fifth Golden Shoe award on Tuesday for finishing last season as the top goalscorer in Europe.

The striker scored 34 goals in 68 games for Barcelona, putting him ahead of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Tottenham’s Harry Kane.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won the award four times, hit 26 goals in 52 matches for Real Madrid.

After being prsented with his latest prize in Barcelona, Messi said: “The truth is I had no idea this would happen when I started. I dreamt of playing professional football and enjoying success, I love the game, but I never imagined I would have so much.

“I enjoy the work, the effort, I’m at the best team in the world and play with the best team-mates in the world, so everything is easier.”

The ceremony was attended by Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, as well as fellow players like Sergio Busquets and Sergi Roberto.

Messi also discussed Monday’s Champions League draw, which pitted Barca against Lyon in the round of 16.

“Lyon will be a complicated opponent,” Messi said. “Even if they are not known as one of the strongest teams, they are dangerous as they showed against Manchester City, one of the best teams in the world.

“It will be difficult to go through, but the opportunity is there for us. We have several Frenchmen in the team like Samuel Umtiti and Malcom, who played in France, so perhaps they can help as well.”

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A Kenyan footballer has been struck dead by lightning as he celebrated his team’s equaliser against their opponents.
According to a report by The Standard of Kenya, the victim, Allan Mbote, was a 20-year-old Kenyatta University student. He played as a defender for a team known as Red Sharks.
The incident happened on Sunday, with five other players also injured by the lightning during Nangina Ward Football Tournament at Luchululo village.
Allan Mbote(Circled) killed by lightning
Three of the players are still on admission at Nangina Mission Hospital.
Kenyatta University has confirmed the death of the second year student.
The MP for the area, Dr. Oundo Mudenyo also sent his condolence as he wrote: “Some tragedies are hard to take: lightening striking a player during a soccer match! RIP Allan Mbote.”
The Standard reported that Mbote’s death was the latest lightning tragedy to hit Kenya in recent days.
On 9th December, lightning also killed three children in Teso North constituency.
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.
Super Falcons

Nigeria’s Super Falcons have qualified for the final of the Total 2018 CAF African Women Nations Cup final, edging Cameroon 4-2 in penalty shootout.
The game had ended goalless after 120 minutes, leading to the penalty shootout.
Ngozi Ebere scored Nigeria’s winning goal to make the scoreline 4-2.
The Super Falcons with the victory have also qualified for 2019 FIFA World Cup.
The second semi-final is being played by South Africa and Mali. The winner will pick the continent’s second ticket for the World Cup.
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.
Anthony Joshua is now the holder of 4 heavyweight belts
Britain’s Anthony Joshua retained his world heavyweight titles by inflicting the first stoppage defeat of Alexander Povetkin’s professional career with a ruthless seventh-round finish at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
A previously close contest turned in Joshua’s favour decisively when he sent the Russian crashing to the canvas with a straight right hand and left hook.
Povetkin gamely beat the count but Joshua piled in before referee Steve Gray stopped the contest at one minute and 59 seconds of the seventh round.
Victory saw Joshua extend his unbeaten professional record to 22 wins from 22 fights, with 21 knockouts, in front of a raucous home crowd.
“Povetkin is a very tough challenger and he proved it tonight,” Joshua told Sky Sports.
“I realised he was strong to the head but weak to the body.
“I got my knockout streak back, I found my right hand again.”
Joshua was putting his International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organisation belts on the line against 39-year-old Russian challenger Povetkin.
This fight was the latest in a line of professional heavyweight title bouts, featuring the likes of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and George Foreman, between two former Olympic champions, with Joshua having won gold in front of his home crowd at the 2012 London Games — eight years after Povetkin stood atop the podium in Athens.
Joshua, 28, had a significant height and reach advantage of several inches over Povetkin.
Friday’s weigh-in also confirmed a significant size difference, with Joshua tipping the scales at 17 stone 8 pounds (111.5 kilogrammes) compared to Povetkin’s 15st 12lbs.
This fight saw Joshua returning to the scene of arguably his greatest triumph, an 11th-round stoppage of former champion Wladimir Klitschko last year.
Klitschko was the only man to have previously inflicted a blemish on Povetkin’s now 36-fight record, with a points win back in 2013.
Joshua, born in nearby Watford but based in London, had been taken the distance for the first time as a professional in his last title defence — a unanimous points victory over New Zealand’s Joseph Parker in Cardiff in March.
The undercard of that fight saw Povetkin serve notice of his formidable punching power with a sickening knockout of Britain’s David Price.
Povetkin, who in 2016 was given an indefinite ban from boxing after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium that was later cut to a year, had insisted in the build-up he was a far stronger fighter than the one beaten by Klitschko.
And the first round ended with Povetkin, stooping low, rocking Joshua with a right uppercut that drew blood from the champion’s nose. 
Joshua, who said Thursday that “my well is deep, my heart can definitely go through hell and back”, was certainly being tested in the opening exchanges, although he did start to respond with some single-punch jabs.
And come the fourth round, Povetkin had a significant cut above the left eye.
Nevertheless, at the end of the sixth he was still in the contest only for Joshua to seal victory barely two minutes later.
But whether this win takes Joshua any closer to a fight with World Boxing Council heavyweight title-holder Deontay Wilder, who next fights Britain’s former world champion Tyson Fury on December 1, remains to be seen.
“My number one would be Wilder,” said Joshua, whose promoter Eddie Hearn has already booked Wembley for April 13, when asked about his next opponent.
“May the champion bring himself here and have a good old fashioned dust-up.
“All I want to fight is serious challengers. If Dillian (Whyte) wants to fight here he is also more than welcome.”
Joshua beat compatriot Whyte with a seventh-round knockout in December 2015 — his last fight before becoming a world champion for the first time
Whyte, who was among an estimated 80,000 crowd at Wembley, said of Joshua’s latest victory: “He was patient and took his time, he was jabbing to the body and then brought the right into play which caught Povetkin by surprise.
“Hopefully, it’s me next, I’m here and ready to fight.”
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Super Eagles and Chelsea forward, Victor Moses, has retired from international football.

The 27-year-old announced this on Wednesday via his twitter handle.

“I would like to announce that after much thought, I have made the decision to retire from playing international football,” he said.

“I have experienced some of the best moments of my life wearing the Super Eagles shirt and have memories with me that will last a lifetime. Nothing will ever compete to what it felt like to represent Nigeria on behalf of our country.”

Moses explained that he took the decision to step away at this time, in order to focus fully on his club career and his young family.

He said his retirement was also to allow the next generation of football stars the opportunity to step up and flourish.

He noted that the nation is blessed with many young players, stressing that the best to offer them was to give them the opportunity to show their talents.
Victor Moses poses with the Nation’s Cup in 2013

‘’There are so many highlights that stand out for me over the years; from making my debut, to playing in two World Cups and being a part of the team to win the African Nations Cup for the first time for our nation since 1994, being just a few of them,” said Moses.

He said he had informed Eagles coach Gernot Rohr about his retirement and thanked him for the love he had shown to him.

The Chelsea forward also thanked his national teammates, as well as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for their support over the years.

He appreciated Nigerians who believed in him, saying their support meant the world to him and his family.

“I will always be a proud Nigerian supporting the team. Thank you for the memories and good luck to the team for the future,” he said.

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The National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) has pleaded with Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to intervene in the current leadership tussle in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) by ensuring the laws of the land are obeyed.
President of NANF Harrison Jalla, made the plea in Abuja on Wednesday when he led scores of protesters on a peaceful demonstration demanding the withdrawal of operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) occupying the secretariat of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that DSS operatives have occupied the country’s football house for about a month now following the leadership tussle between Amaju Pinick-led board and the Chris Giwa faction of the NFF.
The Giwa-led board had taken over control at the NFF secretariat on July 2 following a Supreme Court ruling which set aside a 2016 judgment of the Appeal Court on the leadership tussle and sent the case back to the Federal High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State, where it started in September 2014.
They were however, chased out of office by men of the DSS who claimed to be working according to a presidential directive in spite the court ruling.
Chris Giwa: Once in charge of activities at the NFF before being chased out by DSS operatives

Giwa and his men had dragged the Pinnick-led board to the Apex Court, to set aside the verdict of the Appeal Court which overturned the ruling of a Federal High Court that had relisted the case after an out-of-court settlement failed.
Jalla, however, told newsmen that the decision of the DSS to occupy the NFF secretariat was an obstruction of justice and that it was inimical to the development of football in the country.
“We are here to plead with the Acting President that the DSS cannot continue to occupy the glasshouse; there is a Supreme Court judgment.
“We are not in a jungle; we want the DSS to vacate the premises of the NFF and we are saying that the decision of the judiciary must be respected.
“The DSS operatives have been here for over one month trying to cause obstructions; they are beating staff of the NFF and we cannot run football like this.
“We ask them to withdraw and we promise to come back tomorrow in another different method.
“The DSS authorities told us earlier that their men will vacate the NFF premises on Monday but today is Wednesday, they are still here,” Jalla said.
Embattled NFF President Amaju Pinnick, fighting to remain in office

He further said that they would send a delegation to brief the acting president on the activities of the DSS operatives.
NAN reports that the protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “FG sack DSS Director of Operation; Nigeria is a creation of law, DSS please obey the laws of the land and No to impunity, no to DSS occupation of NFF”.
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The World Cup-winning French team returned home to a heroes’ welcome on Monday as hundreds of thousands packed the Champs Elysees for their victory parade ahead of a presidential reception in the evening.
Ahead of the award of France’s top honour, Legion of Honour by President Emmanuel Macron to the team, in Paris, the metro system temporarily renamed six of its stations in honour of the key players. Victor Hugo stop — named after the famed 19th-century writer — becomes Victor Hugo Lloris after the team’s goalkeeper.
Two stations were rebaptised in tribute to Deschamps, who captained the national side to its first World Cup victory, won on home soil in 1998.
Alongside Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer, Deschamps has become only the third man to win the World Cup both as a player and coach.
France overcame a determined Croatia team to win 4-2 in Sunday’s final, with teenager Kylian Mbappe applying the coup de grace and cementing his place as a new global superstar at the age of just 19.
The players arrived to a raucous welcome at Charles De Gaulle airport northeast of Paris, including a “water salute” by the fire brigade which sprayed arcs of water over the Air France jet as it taxied to the gate.
Captain Hugo Lloris, flanked by coach Didier Deschamps, was the first to emerge from the aircraft, raising the famed golden trophy before heading down the stairs and onto a freshly laid red carpet.
Commentators have focused on the outpouring of patriotism and sense of national unity created by the multiethnic French team, many of whose stars including Mbappe and Paul Pogba hail from deprived and often overlooked suburbs of Paris.
Millions of fans in France celebrated into the night, honking car horns and flying the tricolour flag while the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe were lit up in the national colours of blue, white and red.
Crowds began converging early Monday on the Champs Elysees, the gathering point for all national celebrations, for a parade by the team atop an electric bus expected to start in the early evening.
“We’re so proud of this team, they have truly become our players,” said Priscilla Lagneaux, 28, who was waiting with friends under a wilting sun on the avenue. “We had to see them, and also the Cup.”
Laurent Joffrin, editor of the leftwing Liberation newspaper, said they had lived up to the ideal of “the republic that we love: united and diverse, patriotic and open, national without being nationalist”.
After the parade France’s newest idols will be welcomed at the Elysee Palace by Emmanuel Macron, whose office has already promised the Legion of Honour for the victors’ “exceptional services” to the country.
Around 1,000 youths from local soccer clubs across the country, including the gritty Bondy suburb which produced Mbappe, are expected as guests at the reception at the Elysee presidential palace.
“We’re going to say thank you!” said Sacha, one of the young players already at the palace. “I don’t regret not going on vacation this summer.”
The team will have a private meeting with Macron and his wife Brigitte, and then they will enter the palace’s gardens where Macron is expected to make a speech.
Afterwards guests will be treated to the beats of DJ Snake, who has worked with pop stars including Lady Gaga and is part of the Pardon My French collective of French DJs.
Macron had already celebrated with the team on Sunday — even doing “dab” dance moves with players in a video that has gone viral — after attending the final in Moscow.
Some analysts believe the 40-year-old centrist will benefit from the feelgood factor sweeping France, with Macron able to show a common touch after months of criticism from his opponents that he is distant and elitist.
Later the team will attend a dinner in their honour at the posh Hotel du Crillon.
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France’s team players pose with the trophy as they celebrate during the trophy ceremony after winning the Russia 2018 World Cup final football match between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 15, 2018.

France won their second World Cup 20 years after their maiden triumph on Sunday, seeing off a dogged and desperate Croatia side who refused to lie down in one of the most electrifying finals in recent years.

The breathless 4-2 victory under stormy skies at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium means Didier Deshchamps’ side — balancing youthful vitality and tournament nous — have buried the pain of their defeat in the Euro 2016 final on home soil.

For the small nation of Croatia, the loss spells bitter pain but fans at home will celebrate the best run in the nation’s history, which featured a stunning win against Argentina and a semi-final victory against England.

Earlier, Croatia’s fans, massed behind Danijel Subasic’s goal, unveiled an enormous flag during their national anthem and their side roared out of the blocks, pinning France back in their own half.

It was the French who scored first, courtesy of an own goal in the 18th minute by Mario Mandzukic following an Antoine Griezmann free-kick but they were pegged back by a lovely Ivan Perisic strike 10 minutes later.

Griezmann restored France’s lead from the penalty spot after the referee awarded a controversial spot-kick with the help of VAR (video assistant referee) for a hand ball.

As thunder rolled around the stadium, Griezmann lined up the penalty, holding the ball under his arm. Crotia goalkeeper Subasic did his best to put the French striker off but he held his nerve to lash the spot-kick into the net.

Croatia were first out after half-time and again were into their stride quickly, with the brilliant Luka Modric pulling the strings in midfield as roars of “Croatia” echoed round the stadium.

But Manchester United’s Paul Pogba extended France’s lead within a quarter of an hour, stroking the ball home — sparking scenes of joy behind the goal from French fans, who knew their country had one hand on the trophy.
France’s forward Kylian Mbappe (hidden) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal during the Russia 2018 World Cup final football match

Kylian Mbappe appeared to make sure just just minutes later. But Croatia were given renewed hope when Mandzukic made the most of a mistake by France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

– France victorious –

France, strongly fancied to win the final, started their tournament in France slowly, beating Australia and Peru by the odd goal before a goalless stalemate with Denmark saw them top the group.

But they moved up through the gears in the knockout stages, seeing off Lionel Messi’s Argentina in a seven-goal thriller before cruising to a 2-0 win against Uruguay and seeing off Belgium 1-0 in the semi-final.

For Croatia, the match in Moscow was perhaps one too far after they were taken to extra-time for three consecutive games.
France’s coach Didier Deschamps is tossed by players at the end of the Russia 2018 World Cup final

Deschamps, who captained France when they lifted the World Cup in 1998, has become just the third man to win the trophy as both a player and a manager after Franz Beckenbauer and Mario Zagallo.

Croatia have brought joy to their Balkan nation of just four million people by defying the odds to progress to the final while reigning champions Germany, then Argentina and Brazil all fell by the wayside in Russia.

Football fever has slowly built over the past four weeks as France took its young national team to heart, with ecstatic scenes on the Champs-Elysees avenue after their semi-final victory.

Giant screens were erected in scores of fan zones across the country under exceptionally tight security, with the biggest gathering of all expected in Paris, where 90,000 will converge on a fanzone next to the Eiffel Tower.

Red-and-white chequerboard patterns were everywhere in Croatia, on cars, in shop windows, trams, buses as well as on jerseys worn by waiters, shop workers or TV presenters.
France’s players hold their World Cup trophy as they celebrate their win during the trophy ceremony at the end of the Russia 2018 World Cup final football match
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Fraudsters have tricked scores of Nigerians by selling them football World Cup fan passes to travel to Russia, leaving many stranded and penniless, victims and anti-trafficking campaigners say.

Some Nigerians told AFP they used the official Fan IDs to come to Russia with the promise of finding work or even playing professional football themselves.

Others said they came to watch World Cup matches but got stranded when their return plane tickets were canceled by bogus travel agencies that booked them.

Ismail Olamilekan, 21, and his brother Sodiq, 25, said they paid N250,000 (600 euros, $700) each to a man in Lagos for their Fan IDs.

“The man told us that with the Fan ID we could get a job and stay here,” Ismail told AFP at a hostel on the outskirts of Moscow.

“But when we got here we discovered that it was a fraud, that he had just collected the money and lied to us.”

 ‘Football career’

The plastic-coated passes issued by the Russian government enable foreign fans with match tickets to enter the country without a visa during the World Cup — but they expire before the end of July.

It was not clear how the bogus agents obtained the Fan IDs that they sold.

A FIFA spokesman stressed that the Fan IDs system was implemented by the Russian communications ministry.

FIFA “continues to make efforts to identify and curb unauthorised ticket sales,” he added.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova told a news briefing it was a matter for the consular authorities of the countries concerned.

“You can’t rule out that some of the foreign guests, taking advantage of visiting the World Cup, are counting in some way or another, usually illegally, on crossing the Russian border and entering one of the European countries,” she added.

 Nigerians ‘stranded’

The Olamilekan brothers spent about a thousand dollars each for their plane fare to Moscow, on top of what they paid separately to the agent.

“In Nigeria I play football. He told me that if I started working I can also start a (football) career in Russia,” Ismail Olamilekan said.


A fellow Muslim was allowing the brothers to sleep in his hostel until their return flight on July 22.

Other Nigerians, however, found themselves stranded in Russia after fraudulent “agents” who booked return flights for them then cancelled the bookings to get a refund.

One group of about a dozen Nigerians spent days sleeping at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport.

Some of them told AFP they paid more than a million naira each to an agent for a package including flights, match tickets and a fan ID.

“We’ve been sleeping on the floor like fools. We’ve got no place to go,” said Alonge Ademola, 35, a cement dealer from Lagos.

“We really do want to go back to our country. We’ve cried, we’ve wept, but still no solution.”

Russian charity Alternativa said it had helped about 50 Nigerians stranded in Russia and estimated there were about 200 in difficulty overall.

“With globalisation the opportunities for criminals are also increasing. The Fan IDs make an extremely profitable business for them,” said the group’s spokeswoman, Yulia Siluyanova.

 Lesson learnt

Around 50 Nigerians spent the night of Thursday to Friday on the pavement in front of the Nigerian embassy in Moscow.

Nigerian embassy spokesman Olumide Ajayi told AFP on Friday that it had made arrangements to house 57 stranded Nigerians and would work with Russian authorities and airlines to find a way to send them home.

The Olamilekan brothers meanwhile are waiting to board the return flights. They funded the whole trip with money their parents borrowed.

“We don’t have any option but to go back home and work and pay our parents’ debts,” Ismail said.

“I spoke to them last night. They asked if we’ve got a job and if we’re living well and I decided to tell them yes. I don’t like lying to my parents,” he said.
“I still give thanks to God because he has taught me a lesson.”
AFP/LR News
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Gernot Rohr, Nigeria Super Eagles’ coach,  is not thinking of resigning after failing to take the team beyond the group stage in the FIFA World Cup tournament in Russia.
Rohr dismissed the possibility of quitting  while reacting to a question by South Africa’s sports journalist, David Kappel who writes for Soccer Laduma.
According to Sports Village Square, the journalist had asked: “It sounds like you are still positive despite the World Cup exit. Did the thought of resigning ever cross your mind?’”
Possibly the question arose following a trend in Nigerian football after each World Cup outing. In the previous five World Cup outings, all the coaches, except Stephen Keshi, left the team after the match.
Sports Village Square recalls that even Keshi spoke about his resignation at the post match press conference in Brasilia after the Super Eagles were ousted by France four years ago.
Even though he continued for sometime, it was obvious he was merely marking time before he  was finally axed.
Rohr told Soccer Laduma that resignation was out of point. “When you have a team playing this good, beating Iceland who are number 20 in the world while we are number 49; a team that had Argentina, number six in the world close to a knockout; who would think of resigning from this team?
“You will need to question your own work. No, it is out of question for me right now.”
The 65 year-old German was appointed manager of the Nigerian team in August 2016.
Before then, he had coached Niger, Burkina Faso  and Gabon  teams and also Etoile Sportive du sahel, at the club level in 2009.
His first coaching experience with Africa’s national teams was in 2010, when he was appointed in February of that year as successor to  French coach Alain Giresse . He was then manager of Ligue 2 team FC Nantes, the job he got after he was sacked by Etoile. He did not stay long in FC Nantes as he was fired in December of 2009.
He became manager of Niger national football team in September 2012, but resigned in October 2014.
On 22 December 2015, he was sacked by Burkina Faso national football team as manager.
Before coming to Africa, Rohr in 1996,  managed Girondins Bordeaux to the UEFA Cup final, where they lost to Bayern Munich over two legs, 0–2 away and 1–3 at home. Bordeaux’s run to the final included a famous 3–0 win over AC Milan in the quarter-finals. From October 1998 until April 1999 he was sports director of Eintracht Frankfurt.
Rohr registered the distinction making the Super Eagles the first African team to qualify on 7 October 2017,  for the 2018 FIFA World Cup after a 1–0 victory over Zambia.
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Thousands of Chinese are pouring out their grief on social media following the death of a  “psychic” cat, Baidian’er that correctly predicted the outcome of Nigeria and Argentina match at Russia FIFA World Cup.

The cat, bearing the name that means white spot in Chinese, also predicted the outcome of five other World Cup games.

The orange-furred tabby was a stray cat that prowled around the Palace Museum in Beijing’s Forbidden City.

He was offered two bowls of food, with the flags of competing World Cup teams stuck in the ground behind them to make the predictions.

He achieved such fame that the Palace Museum even set up an account for him on China’s Weibo, a popular Twitter-like platform.

Unfortunately, Baidian’er’s correct prediction of an Argentinian win against Nigeria turned out to be his last.

The museum said the cat fell ill and finally announced its death on Monday, sparking almost 10,000 comments on Weibo.

“Every time I go to the Forbidden City, I have to go see Baidian’er, take a photo, play for a while, see him sleep on the grass in the sun,” wrote one distraught user.

“Go on living a happy life in Cat Heaven, I’ll see you again.”

It has not been a good week for animal prognosticators.

In Japan, an octopus caught in the northern region of Hokkaido correctly predicted the outcome of three of Japan’s World Cup matches, but like the Blue Samurai met an unfortunate fate.

Even before Japan qualified for the final 16, the octopus named Rabio was reportedly sold and turned into sashimi.

Rabio was following on from the most successful salty soothsayer, an Octopus named Paul who achieved global fame by correctly predicting eight 2010 World Cup games from his aquarium in Germany.

Paul became a worldwide media sensation, with his latter predictions covered by hordes of international media.

But Paul fell offside with his home fans after correctly predicting that Germany would lose to Spain. His aquarium received menacing letters threatening to turn him into a tasty dish.

In the stands, the honour of Paul’s mother was called into question and some sections of the crowd watching on giant screens in Berlin sang anti-octopus songs
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

Super Eagles striker, Odion Ighalo, has reacted to the alleged death threat issued to his family in Lagos on the social media due to his failure to score goals from clear-cut opportunities against Argentina, saying it was not deliberate.
Ighalo, who replaced Kelechi Ihanacho in the second half of the match between Nigeria and Argentina in the ongoing World Cup in Russia, failed to convert a through pass from Ahmed Musa had incurred the anger of fans.
Nigerian fans strongly believed that if Ighalo had scored the goal, it would have seen the Super Eagles through to the Round of 16 of the World Cup.
Odion Ighalo admits culpability in Eagles’ loss to Argentina

Speaking through his Social Media timeline, Ighalo, who was involved in Nigeria’s qualification for the World Cup, said that he regretted not scoring the crucial goal.
“It is a great experience to play at the World Cup and I enjoyed every moment of it, but sometimes things don’t work the way you want.
“But life has to go on, I am grateful to God I did not sustain any injury,’’ he said.
After the match which generated a lot of ill-comments from fans, the Changchun Yatai F.C. of China’s striker, apologised to Nigerians and assumed personal responsibility for the blunder.
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Argentina’s forward Lionel Messi (C) and Nigeria’s midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo vie for the ball

Nigeria are out of the World Cup after failing to overcome Argentina in their Group D clash at the St Petersburg Stadium.

Nigeria needed a win or a draw to progress, and came into the game with three points against Argentina’s one.

Victory would have guaranteed progress regardless of the outcome of Iceland’s clash with Croatia.

A draw for the Eagles meant they needed Croatia to defeat Iceland or earn a draw.

Although the game started with Argentina on the front foot, the Eagles grew in the game and were able to carve out a lot of chances.

Lionel Messi put his side ahead in the first half, but Nigeria levelled scores in the 51’st minute. Progress was within sight for Nigeria but an 86th-minute strike by Marcos Rojo denied them progress.

Early pressure and possession form the Argentines paid off in the 14th minute when Messi latched onto an Ever Banega ball upfield and gave Sampaoli’s men the lead.

Nigeria were rattled but reacted well and grew in the game.

The Super Eagles felt hard done after the referee refused to award them a penalty for Marcos Rojo’s challenge on Kelechi Iheanacho in the 45th minute.

Four minutes into the second half Nigeria got some reprieve when Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir pointed to the spot after Javier Mascherano tangled with Oghenekaro Etebo at a corner.

Moses confidently stepped up to send Franco Armani the wrong way on his international debut and put Nigeria on course for progress.

Despite giving Argentina the lead, Nigeria were able to deny him the opportunity to influence proceeded as he does brilliantly for Barcelona.

There was further VAR controversy when Nigeria were denied a second penalty when Rojo headed onto his own arm before substitute Odion Ighalo fired wide. Many Nigerians fans would rue Ighalo’s miss.

Ighalo was not done, however, as he missed another glorious chance when he shot too close to Armani and Nigeria were made to pay for their profligacy from the most unlikely source.

Sergio Aguero had been thrown on from the bench to join Messi and Higuain in attack, but it was Rojo who produced a striker’s finish on his weaker right foot to spark delirious scenes of celebration among the tens of thousands of Argentines in the stands.

Although the Super Eagles are out, they put up a fight and matched Argentina for shots and chances.

They had a total of eight shots (three on targets and five off target), compared to Argentina’s seven shots (four on target and three off target).
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.

Nigerians have, however, taken to the social media to hail the national team’s efforts.

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L-R) Nigeria’s forward Ahmed Musa, Nigeria’s goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Nigeria’s midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo celebrate at the end of the match


Ahmed Musa struck twice to become the first Nigerian to score at two World Cups Friday as the Super Eagles secured a crucial 2-0 win over Iceland, who missed a penalty.

The African side will secure a spot in the knockout stage if they beat Argentina on Tuesday in Group D’s final round of fixtures.

A draw would be enough to eliminate the Argentines but would leave Nigeria’s fate hinging on the outcome of Iceland’s game against Croatia.

Musa, who came into the starting line-up in place of Alex Iwobi, announced himself with two of the goals of the tournament so far.

Musa’s sweetly struck half-volley fired Nigeria into the lead just after half-time before he added a second with 15 minutes to go to make the Group D game safe.

Iceland got a lifeline in the 82nd minute with a VAR-awarded penalty but dead-ball specialist Gylfi Sigurdsson blazed over the bar.

With Croatia heading the group on six points Nigeria knew a second defeat would mean elimination and Iceland started brightest after coach Heimir Hallgrimsson changed to a 4-4-2 from the 4-5-1 he had used in the 1-1 draw with Argentina.

Alfred Finnbogason, who scored the equaliser against Argentina as a lone striker, was joined up front by Jon Bodvarsson and the pair quickly made an impact.

Captain Aron Gunnarsson launched a long throw into the box and, after Bodvarsson had made a nuisance of himself, a push gave Iceland a free-kick just outside the area.

– Unstoppable half-volley –

Gylfi Sigurdsson struck it smoothly round the wall but 19-year-old goalkeeper Francis Uzoho was able to make the save high to his right.

Nigeria, with captain John Obi Mikel sitting deeper in midfield than against Croatia, slowly worked their way into the game with Victor Moses a constant threat on the right flank.

The pace inevitably dropped with the temperature still a stifling 31 Celsius at the 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) local time kickoff.

The match became a stalemate until 10 minutes before half-time when Iceland came close to opening the scoring but Leon Balogun’s glancing header just did enough to thwart Gylfi Sigurdsson and Birkir Bjarnason lurking at the back post.


And on the stroke of half-time Finnbogason came within a whisker of doubling his World Cup tally when he flashed wide Gylfi Sigurdsson’s whipped in free-kick.

Gernot Rohr brought on wing back Tyronne Ebuehi for Bryan Idowu at the start of the second half and Nigeria came out full of running.
Musa jubilating after scoring his first goal

The tireless Moses was released down the right and his cross was met by Musa who teed up the ball deftly with the outside of his right foot before unleashing an unstoppable half-volley into the roof of the net.

As he wheeled away in celebration his knee caught Ragnar Sigurdsson in the back of the head and the Iceland defender needed treatment, a bandage and a change of shirt after sustaining a nasty cut.

Wilfred Ndidi forced Hannes Halldorsson into a fine fingertip save with a wickedly dipping shot from distance in the 58th minute.

Musa made the game safe with his second, controlling a long ball without breaking stride and beating Kari Arnason before rounding Halldorsson and powering his shot past two covering defenders on the line. LR News
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Latest Reality Blog is a legal blog where you are updated on online latest news, gist, entertainment, events, motivational text, and genue articles.

The Vikings of Iceland that held Argentina to a draw in the first game of Group D in the FIFA World Cup in Russia, will have it tougher with Nigeria’s Super Eagles in the crunch match starting at 4pm today.
Chief Segun Odegbami, former Nigeria international, who held a pep talk with the Nigerian team in Volgograd on Thursday made the prediction in a post on Facebook.
Super Eagles will fight, said Odegbami about his impressions of the team that lost to Croatia 2-0 in their first game.
“I saw their spirit. They will fight like they have never fought before. When we parted to go and watch the Argentinian match on TV, both my Head and my Heart were in sync about expectations tomorrow – Iceland are in trouble”, wrote Odegbami.
Read his full post:
`’I am in Volgograd. I have just finished watching the final chapter of an unfolding drama in Group D of the World Cup. It is curtains for Argentina, because I do not see how they will survive their last match against Nigeria.
“It was a rare privilege earlier this evening when, at the instance of Amaju Pinnick, I was given the rare privilege to address members of the Super Eagles at their dinner table, the only person to do so on the eve of their greatest challenge when they confront the Vikings of Iceland with all the pent up ‘anger’, energy, determination and motivation from the Croatian match.
“It was a spirit lifting meeting that we had. I simply reminded them of their responsibility to ensure that they displayed the full version of the Nigerian do-or-die spirit. I reminded them also about their responsibility to the ordinary Nigerian on the street that is with them unconditionally foŕ as long as they give their best. I reminded them of their assured place in history if they could rise above the disappointment of their first match, win tomorrow and convert this moment of their greatest challenge into the moment of their greatest triumph.
“I gave them the good wishes of all Nigerians and prayed with them for favour from the elements. It was a small contribution to their already bulging enthusiasm and confidence.
“I saw their spirit. They will fight like they have never fought before. When we parted to go and watch the Argentinian match on TV, both my Head and my Heart were in sync about expectations tomorrow – Iceland are in trouble”. LR News
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