Real Madrid’s 4-1 win over Osasuna on Sunday saw Zinedine Zidane further cement his legendary place in the club’s history.

The victory was his 88th in La Liga – taking him above Jose Mourinho into third all-time for the most wins in the Spanish top flight as Madrid boss.

Only Miguel Munoz, who managed the club for 14 years between 1960 and 1974, and Vicente del Bosque have won more league games as manager at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Things didn’t initially seem to be going to plan for Madrid at the Estadio El Sadar, as Unai Garcia put Osasuna into an unexpected early lead.

Goals from Isco and Sergio Ramos turned the game on its head before the interval, with late strikes from Lucas Vazquez and Luka Jovic making the game safe.

Ramos was making his 440th Madrid appearance in the league, moving into fifth place in the club’s all-time league appearance list surpassing Fernando Hierro.

The result sent Madrid six points clear at the top of La Liga, with second-placed Barcelona facing Real Betis on Sunday evening.

Jovic’s goal, a thumping finish on the half-volley, will have come as a relief to both Zidane and the Serbian forward.

It was just his second strike since joining Madrid from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer, and Zidane will be expecting him to kick on from it.

“I'd like him to score, but he'll get there if he keeps working,” he said recently.
“He's young, he's just arrived and the good thing is that he's in a team where there are a lot of big players and he has to adapt.

“The delicate moment will be good for him – when he finally scores, everything will change.”

Zidane’s record underlines the remarkable success he achieved in his first spell at the helm, which he will be hoping to replicate in his second.

His hat-trick of Champions League wins has already established him as one of the club’s most successful coaches in their history, though he will be keen to add to the solitary league title he won in 2016-17.

However, he has some way to go before catching the great Munoz. Though he only won two European Cups, Madrid won a record nine league titles under him in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Unai Emery felt Arsenal were "on a downward slope for two years" prior to his arrival and slammed the attitude of star men during his time with the Gunners.

Emery was sacked last November after just 18 months in charge at the Emirates Stadium following the London club's worst winless run since 1992.

The former Paris Saint-Germain boss insisted he stopped the rot after replacing Arsene Wenger, but believed the attitude of some key men left a lot to be desired.
Emery felt he would have made Arsenal a force if he was given more time in the role.

"Arsenal was a club on a downward slope for two years when I arrived," the Spaniard told France Football.

"We stopped that slide and even started to straighten the club out with a Europa League final and fifth place in the league, only one place behind Tottenham, even though we only took one point in the last five games.

"We had Champions League qualification in our hands and it went wrong at the end. But it was a good season and we had the idea to continue this progress.

"But we lost our four captains: [Laurent] Koscielny, [Petr] Cech, [Aaron] Ramsey and [Nacho] Monreal.

"We were missing personalities for this season to stay on track, and some stars did not have the right attitude and asked for more than they gave.

"Considering all that, it would have taken more time to transition successfully into the new Arsenal that I wanted."

Arsenal are unbeaten in seven matches under Emery's replacement Mikel Arteta, though four of those contests have been drawn.

Odion Ighalo will be in the Manchester United squad for the Premier League clash with Chelsea next Monday despite missing a training camp in Spain due to fears he could be denied re-entry into Britain if restrictions against the outbreak of Coronavirus are tightened.

The 30-year-old Nigerian international striker joined United on loan until the end of the season on deadline day last month from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.

The British government called the novel coronavirus a "serious and imminent threat", and said anyone with the disease can now be forcibly quarantined if they are deemed a threat to public health as the number of cases in Britain doubled to eight.

The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak surged past 1,000 on Tuesday.
Most cases overseas have involved people who had been in Wuhan, the quarantined central Chinese city where the virus emerged late last year, or people infected by others who had been at the epicentre.

United said Saturday in a statement that Ighalo had been left out of the Spain squad to avoid any potential problems related to the killer virus on re-entry to Britain.

However, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told the club's website Ighalo will be in the squad for a match that could have a crucial bearing on who finishes in the top four this term and qualifies for the Champions League next season.

"Yeah, he is going to travel with us," said Solskjaer.

"We want to integrate him as quickly as we can because, of course, he is desperate to play for us."
"We will just see his fitness work this week and I think we will get him sharp.

Former Super Eagles winger, Victor Moses, has been hailed by Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte following his performance during the Milan derby that ended in a 4-2 victory for the Nerrazurri.

Moses, who joined Inter during the January transfer window, played just 10 minutes of the game, but his input was commended by the Italian manager.

“Both Ashley Young and Victor Moses, because they are wing-backs, don’t need quite so much guidance in training.

“Plus Moses already played with me at Chelsea,” Conte told Sky Sport Italia.
Moses has played three games so far at Inter and his contributions to his team’s performance especially his assist in the Milan derby has attracted the headlines.

The former Nigeria international joined Inter from Fenerbahçe in January 2020 in a loan move which could see him being retained permanently.

The family of the late Clement and Toyin Okhide, who were killed in the Ejigbo area of Lagos State on Tuesday, has appealed to the media to refrain from purveying wrong information on the incident and allow it mourn its dead.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the Okhide family was thrown into mourning when its 23-year-old son, Michael, allegedly stabbed his parents to death.

But the family in a statement on Tuesday urged the media to refrain from sensationalism in the reportage of the matter, especially where such reports were based on inaccuracies.

The family in the statement signed by the children of the deceased–Dr Abiola Odeyinka, Miss Ayooluwa Okhide and Master Stephen Okhide– described the incident as sad and traumatic for the family.

It pleaded for public support and empathy at the trying and difficult period for the family, saying the challenge of drug abuse and mental illness was rife and required collective action to tackle it.

” This is a sensitive matter for us as we mourn the loss of our dear parents who loved us and gave us the best support any child could ever desire.

“Once again, we are pained by this occurrence and we passionately urge the media and general public to desist from further sensationalising this occurrence,” the statement said.

It would be recalled that the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, had said a manhunt had been launched for Michael, adding that the corpses were evacuated to the Isolo General Hospital.

“On Tuesday, February 4, 2020, around 6.00 p.m., I was alerted that a young man, Michael Okhide, 23, had killed his father, Clement Okhide, 60 and suspected to have seriously injured his mother at No 6 Akeem Gbadamosi Street.

” When our men were mobilised to the scene, we found Clement dead in a pool of his blood in the kitchen.

” Blood was also seen all over the kitchen and a thorough search of the house led to the discovery of the remains of Clement’s wife, Toyin, 50, in one of the locked-up rooms upstairs.

“Two corpses were recovered and deposited at the Isolo General Hospital’s mortuary. The assailant equally stabbed his sister, Mary, in the stomach and on the hands.

”She has visited the Ejigbo Health Centre where she received treatment. A manhunt has been launched to arrest the fleeing assailant,” he had said.

The First Lady Aisha Buhari, has met with her predecessor, Mrs Patience Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja and shared experiences on issues relating to women’s development in the country.

Mrs Buhari disclosed this on Tuesday on her tweeter handle.

The first lady said, their discussion centred on issues affecting the growth and development of women in the country, especially girl-child education, women’s participation in politics at local level.

“Yesterday, I received my predecessor, Her Excellency Dame Patience Jonathan at the State House.

“We discussed my efforts with regards to greater involvement of women in politics and participation of women at lower level of governance.

”We also discussed girl-child education and her pet project “Women for Change,” she tweeted.

She expressed the need for spouses of Nigeria’s former leaders to always keep-in-touch and share experiences for the betterment of women and children in the society.

”I got to hear her experience during her tenure and listened to her perspectives on issues affecting women and children in the society,” she said.

Mrs Buhari expressed her deepest gratitude to the former first lady for the visit.

”It was really nice having her around and I look forward to having more of such moments,” she tweeted. (NAN)

..Says title a handshake across the Niger

By Ifeanyi Nwoko

Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa has been conferred with an Idoma traditional title, OyiIhotu K Idoma (the cherished son of Idoma land) in Otukpo, Benue State.

According to a statement issued by the Secretary, Idoma Area Traditional Council, Mr Joseph Adah, the governor described the award as a handshake across the Niger.

The Paramount ruler of Idoma kingdom, OchIdoma IV, Dr Elias Obekpa, while conferring the title on Dickson at the OchIdoma Square, said that the honour was in appreciation of his kind gestures toward the Idoma people.

The governor, who hails from the Izon Kingdom, was also adopted as proud son of Idoma kingdom by the Idoma Area Traditional Council.

It is to demonstrate our appreciation for the cordial relationship that has existed between our people and the people of Bayelsa state, he said.

He said Dickson had appointed an Idoma man and current lawmaker, representing Ado, Okpokwu, Ogbadibo Federal Representatives, Dr Francis Ottah Agbo, as special adviser on media relations and later, Chief Press Secretary.

He added that the governor also appointed Mr Steven Ekoja, another Idoma man as his Special Assistant.

He also appointed an Idoma man, Innocent Adaji as his Chief Driver and Mr John Adaji as his Farm Manager while some of his cooks are of Idoma and Tiv extractions.

Dickson also appointed a Benue Police Officer, late Insp. Ameh Ogbeh as his Escort Commander.

The paramount ruler lauded Agbo for keeping him informed about the goodwill shown to his Idoma subjects by Dickson.

He enjoined his sons and daughters outside Idoma land to always draw the attention of the palace to similar gestures.

He also used the occasion to call on well-meaning individuals and organisations to invest in Idoma land, assuring that the Palace would not hesitate to honour others who have shown kindness to his subjects.

Responding, Dickson applauded the OchIdoma and all sons and daughters of Idoma land for the honour done him and the Bayelsa people.

The governor who also stressed the need for more handshake across the tribal divides in the country, advocated for unity among people in different areas of the county.

Instead of dividing and tearing us apart, instead of promoting sectionalism, instead of promoting policies that tend to divide and separate our people, we should emulate the Idoma Traditional Council by building people together instead of tearing them apart.

We need more handshakes across the Niger. I therefore urge all of us to close ranks in this country. This award will strengthen the bond between the Ijaw and Idoma ethnic nationalities.

Your son, my friend, the Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo has a dual identity of being Ijaw and Idoma and has done well at the National Assembly, and I thank you all for supporting him, Dickson said.

On his part, Agbo who facilitated the award said he did so to prove to the world that the Idoma people are grateful people who would always appreciate every kind gesture extended to them. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Wife of the Governor of Kaduna State, Hajia Asia El-Rufai, has called for active involvement of women in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism in the country.

El-Rufai made the call at the opening of the 2nd Leadership in Counter Terrorism and Violent Extremism Course of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), on Monday in Abuja.

NARC is running the four-day course in collaboration with Peace Building Development Consult (PBDC) for military, security agencies and Civil Society Organisations involved in counterterrorism and extremism in Nigeria.

She said that it was important to integrate women in the security apparatuses in the fight since they form the bulk of the victims.

El-Rufai also stated that women always had insights into the cause of violent extremism because of their closeness to the boys and men that actually get involved in extremism.

According to her, unless you involve a woman and get an insight on how her child has developed overtime, you may not be able to understand what pushes somebody to put on a bomb in his body, take his own life because he wants to send a message.

Why would somebody do that? So, women need to be involved at all stages because, one, they are the ones that day in day out are involved with the young people whether they are male or female.

They are the ones that share during their normal interactions with one another, they hear things and when they hear these things and they dont have avenue to inform, they may not be able to prevent anything.

We also must effectively involve women in trainings in early warning mechanism. The child must be taught from the basic of the critical reasoning and thinking.

Education remains the only way we can stop them from getting involved in extremism. Religious teaching should be first taught at home properly in order to discourage children from adhering to bad teachings, she said.

El-Rufai, who is the National Coordinator of Society Against Violent Extremism (SAVE), further advocated that the various CSOs involved the fight against terrorism and violent extremism must be thoroughly trained to understand the issues.

She said that some of the CSOs that are involved in countering extremism were not doing so because of their love for humanity but because of the money involved.

According to her, a lot of people that have no idea about what violent extremism is, who are just there to make money were the ones that were mainstreamed into this fight without good knowledge.

My advise is this, donor agencies need to make sure that who ever they sponsor, give grants to fight this are people that are actually knowledgeable in this.

It requires insight of the human mind, of the working of communities, it requires knowledge about what affect people, it requires empathy.

Are you somebody that is empathetic towards the sufferings of people because unless you have these qualities you wont be able to do anything that would make positive result in the lives of people that you claim to affect, she said.

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, represented by DIG Mike Ogbizi, said that leadership of various security agencies must see the need to liaise and cooperate to effectively tackle terrorism and violent extremism.

Adamu also called for good governance at all level by providing infrastructure and create jobs for the youths in order to discourage them from getting involved in crimes.

He said that the course was imperative towards developing measures to counter the menace of terrorism and violent extremism.

He also called on the religious bodies to always preach message that would not provoke violence and encourage extremism.

It should be known that the war against terrorism is not for the security agencies only but for everybody including the media, he said.

The Director General of NARC, Maj.-Gen. Wahab Garba (rtd), disclosed that the tendency of the course was to look at how to develop the leadership capacity of the troops who are fighting the terrorists like Boko Haram.

Garba explained that it was important to bring together, the middle cadre from the military, other security agencies and NGOs so as to look at what the issues were with a view to providing solutions.

We are too engrossed with what is happening in Nigeria but around us is not getting easier because along the Sahel, the Gulf of Guinea, every where is boiling, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Source: NAN

Tens of thousands of Kenyans gathered at an open air stadium on Tuesday for the state funeral of Daniel Arap Moi, the countrys longest serving president, who died recently aged 95.

Mois coffin, draped in the Kenyan flag, was carried on a gun carriage from the State House, the official seat of the presidency, on the 5 km (3 mile) route to the stadium in the capital, Nairobi.

Troops from the Kenyan army, air force and the navy marched alongside into the stadium, where choirs were singing gospel songs as they awaited the cortege of the man described by critics as a virtual dictator.

A long-time friend Silas Yego, also retired bishop of the Africa Inland Church, where Moi had worshiped, told the mourners that Moi was a humble man.

Anybody who knew him, they know he was a humble man.

President Moi never bragged in any success instead he attributed it to God.

Moi believed if you want to succeed, never tell a lie, Yego said.

Moi came to power in 1978 when he was serving as vice-president after the nations first leader President Jomo Kenyatta died.

He remained in power until the end of 2002.

He held power for longer than any other leader since independence and left a legacy of corruption that still haunts the East African nation.

During his rule, thousands of activists, students and academics were held without charge in the underground cells.

Prisoners say they were sometimes denied food and water.

He succeeded in keeping Kenya relatively stable compared to many of its troubled neighbours.

However, he floundered badly on the economy as poverty deepened and corruption flourished.

A 2004 report by corporate investigations firm group Kroll accused Moi and his inner circle of stealing 2 billion dollars of state funds, an accusation dismissed at the time by the government.

He won elections in 1992 and 1997 amid a divided opposition.

However, he was booed and heckled into retirement when term limits forced him to step down in 2002 and he lived quietly for years on his sprawling estate in the Rift Valley.

Several leaders from the region, including the Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, Rwandas President Paul Kagame, South Sudans Salva Kiir and Ugandas Yoweri Museveni joined President Uhuru Kenyatta and the other mourners at the service.

Mois son Raymond gave the former presidents eulogy and Kenyatta was also expected to address the crowd.

Tuesday was declared a public holiday.

Source: NAN

By Emmanuel Afonne

A pressure group, North Central Renaissance (NCR), has urged the Federal Government to revisit cases of gun running involving individuals and groups in order to trace the inflow of illegal arms into the country.

A statement by the groups convener, Mr Jerome Lan, on Tuesday, stressed the importance of reopening such cases in view of the growing security challenges in the country.

Lan said that the fight against insecurity cannot be successful while individuals alleged to be keeping large cache of unlicensed arms are not made to face the law.

Nigeria has witnessed an upsurge in banditry, kidnapping and bloodletting across the country in recent times.

The frequency in Boko Haram attacks, banditry and kidnapping points to the fact that there are arms in the hands of criminals who have continued to use them to terrorize and kill innocent citizens.

All hands must be on deck to checkmate the inflow of these arms in Nigeria.

Recall that on the Feb. 24, 2017, the DSS while acting on credible intelligence, searched and found some incriminating items stashed in the boots of a Mecedez Benz S550 (BWR 135 AH) and Masarati 47 (BWR 207 AJ) cars.

The cars were parked at the premises of a private property in Abuja, allegedly owned by Sen. Gabriel Suswam.

We are concerned about security and well-being of citizens; we herein call on the relevant agencies to immediately reopen and investigate all those alleged to be illegally involved with fire arms, Lan said.

He also stated that there were too many weapons in the hands of criminals and as such anyone suspected to own such weapons should be investigated for the sake of security in the country.

This, he said would expose the collaborators and suppliers of such weapons and trace their route into the country. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Edith Ike-Eboh

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Malam Mele Kyari, said that by June, the oil industry would have a clear fiscal landscape for operators to be able to plan.

Kyari made this known at a breakout session for Chief Executive officers (CEOs) in the industry at the on going Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) in Abuja, on Tuesday.

The CEOs spoke on Investment to achieve economic sustainability.

He said that the need for a new fiscal framework work was imperative adding that operators should be willing to embrace changing laws.

Commenting on renewable energy, he said that Nigerias drive towards transiting to renewable and green energy would be frustrated by the epileptic power situation in the country.

He argued that discussions around encouraging the use of renewable energy should also focus on providing alternatives to addressing the epileptic power situation in Nigeria and across Africa.

We have to resolve the issue of electricity so that we can talk about the renewables in the future; so that we can reduce the use of fossil fuels that has high impact on the environment.

However, we believe that with time, there would be less consumption of fossil fuels.

For us here, as a country, what we need to do is to transit into getting power to our homes, to our industries, to take advantage of the enormous gas resources that we have in this country.

Over 200 trillion standard cubic feet of gas, which everybody knows; but we know that in the books, there are potentials for additional 600 trillion and growing.

This is an asset that we have and which we can rely on to build and develop this country. To take gas to the export market, and particularly, to develop our domestic market, he said

According to him, doing this means bringing prosperity to West Africa, as 70 per cent of West African resides in Nigeria.

Also speaking, President, Nigerian Gas Association, Mrs Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, said that the current uncertainty in the gas sector was not attractive to investors.

She said that there was need to fix the infrastructural challenge in the gas sector by encouraging investment inflow.

She added that the funds needed to fix the infrastructure would not be attracted through removal of profit motive.

She called for a better commercial framework to encourage investment across the gas value chain, adding that the government had to do more to ensure that illiqudity in the gas sector was addressed and in good time too.

Chief Executive Officer of Chevron Nigeria, Mr Jeff Ewing, said that the company was working with the NNPC to deliver cleaner diesel from its Escravos Gas to Liquid, EGTL, plant to the Nigerian market.

He, however, noted that because the Nigerian market was used to darker diesel colour, the company would be adding colour to the diesel.

He added that the company had significantly reduced its gas flaring activities, noting that it would bring about an increase in supply of gas to the domestic market.

However, Chief Executive Officer of Lekoil, Mr Olalekan Akinyanmi, called for a relaxation of standards for Africa, in terms of carbon emission, arguing that Africa should be allowed to grow its economy using fossil fuels as was the case with other regions of the world.

Other developed parts of the world had grown using fossil fuels and now that it is Africas turn, the world is saying we should stop using fossil fuel.

During these periods of their development, Africa paid for others, so I believe the standards should be relaxed for Africa, he noted. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Edith Ike-Eboh

The Federal Government and United State Trade and Development Agency have signed a 1.1million dollar grant to support electricity infrastructure development in Nigeria.

The agreement was signed at the ongoing Nigeria International Petroleum Summit in Abuja, on Tuesday.

The theme of the summit is :Widening the integration Circle :Technology, Knowledge, Sustainability Partnership.

Mr Thomas Hardy, Director, U.S Trade and Development Agency said that the agency was proud signing the grant with Nigeria.

He said that the grant was another demonstration of the American governments commitment to ensuring infrastructural development across the globe.

Nigeria is the largest population in Africa and we are proud investing in the energy sector in the largest African nation to provide power to the rural communities, Hardy said.

He added that the grant would be used for feasibility study of the Independent Power Projects (IPP) and other infrastructure development in the energy sector.

The grant is part funding for the NNPC Abuja IPP modelled to generate 1,350 mw, he said

According to him, the money will be released in tranches depending on the particular project in the sector.
He said that General Electric (GE) would provide all the technology for the IPP project.

Hardy reiterated the agencys commitment to partner with Nigeria to ensure electricity was accessible to all Nigerians.

In his remarks, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum (NNPC), Malam Mele Kyari, said that the Nigerian energy deficiency could be corrected with partnership among stakeholders.

He said the grant would help to ensure that power was delivered to Nigerians for economic growth and development.

He said that the NNPC and the oil and gas sector had all it takes to deliver power with relevant framework in place.

According to him, gas remains the cheapest source of power and efforts must be made to stop flaring it in the country.

We have gas in abundance, we must create infrastructure that will help create gas for power generation.

We need power to create jobs and we must create prosperity, so that we can have peace in our country.

We are grateful for this grant, he said.

Also, the U.S. Ambassador to Nigerian, Ms Mary Leonard, said the grant would help to open up the energy sector in the country.

The grant will provide the in depth technical economic and financial analysis necessary to develop a major new source of energy and exciting one thousand three hundred fifty megawatt natural gas power plant here in Abuja.

I am excited about this project for many reasons, the first is what successful completion of this project would mean for the greater prosperity of Nigeria. Egerius gas reserves have to date been largely untapped.

Creating an incredible opportunity for additional production, increased domestic utilization and eventually export to the global marketplace.

when completed this power plant will take advantage of this new domestic resource and help address Nigerias existing critical energy needs, she said.

The envoy noted that the project demonstrated the U.S. governments commitment to strengthening Nigerias energy sector and the partnership with the government of Nigeria.

The project will join dozens of other high profile energy sector projects that the U.S. TDA is supporting across the country.

In addition to numerous meaty greed and off grid solutions, she added

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Leonard signed on behalf of the U.S. and KyarI signed for the Federal Government. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Pep Guardiola is reported to have locked his Manchester City players in the dressing room for 40 minutes following their defeat to Tottenham on Sunday, as their dwindling title defence took yet another blow.

​City dominated for long spells at the ​Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and registered 18 shots to their hosts' three. After Sergio Aguero had spurned a number of good chances, however, a red card to Oleksandr Zinchenko turned the game on its head, and goals from ​debutant Steven Bergwijn and Son Heung-min left them ruing their earlier profligacy.

While the defeat itself was cause for concern, it's perhaps even more damning when you put it into context. It represented their sixth defeat in 25 ​Premier League games, and means they have now dropped 24 points with 13 games remaining - after dropping just 30 over their two previous seasons combined.

Their dramatic dip has coincided by a similarly notable improvement from ​Liverpool, who now sit 22 clear of City and within six wins of prying the title from their grasp. In summary, there was plenty for Guardiola to be unhappy about at the close of play on Sunday.

Guardiola’s not even done his press conference yet. That’s a hell of a talking to

— Sam Lee (@SamLee) February 2, 2020

And various outlets, including ​Liverpool Echo, are reporting that the players were kept in the away dressing room for as many as 40 minutes following the defeat.

It's unclear exactly what was said in the extended post-match briefing, but while you might assume the players felt Guardiola's wrath, the manager himself insisted after the match that he 'wasn't angry'.

“I’m not angry," he said, as quoted by ​The Telegraph. "Normally I don't like it if we don't play good, if we don't run or we don't fight.

"Never when we lose do I stay away from my players because I know them. But we lost the game, so we talked about how to move forward and keep going.
"There’s a lot of months to play and try to do it.”

Liverpool have been urged by Darren Bent to consider selling Mohamed Salah if they are given the opportunity to sign either Kylian Mbappe or Jadon Sancho.

The Egyptian forward is Liverpool’s top scorer this season with 18 goals in all competitions, and looks certain to lead the club to their first-ever Premier League title in over 30 years – having played a big role in them winning the Champions League last term.

Salah has also scored three times in Liverpool’s last two matches but Bent believes that both Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are more valuable to Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Bent told talkSPORT: “Listen, we know he scores a lot of goals and he is a top, top player. Two Golden Boots, Player of the Season, Champions League winner, about to be a Premier League winner, the accolades are there.

“He may score more goals than Mane, but Mane’s work-rate for the team, he’s unselfish, always looks for others first, he’ll get his fair share of goals. So you can’t sell Mane, he’s so important.

“Firmino, we know he doesn’t score that many goals, but he’s the glue, he links it all together. His hold-up play is arguably one of the best in the league. He brings players in, holds on to the ball, he’s fantastic.”

The former England international then went on to state that Klopp should not think twice about selling Salah if he can bring in a worthy replacement, such as Mbappe or Sancho.

Bent added: “It’s not about selling him and getting £100million and that’s it, but if you can replace him with an Mbappe or someone like a Jadon Sancho, I think it’s worth thinking about.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool have put new contracts for Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson Becker to the top of their list of priorities, it is claimed.

The centre-back and goalkeeper have been instrumental in the Reds’ rise since joining in January and summer 2018 respectively, with Liverpool only losing once in the Premier League during the time they have been together at the club.

While Liverpool appear to have risen to a perch as the strongest club in the world, having won the Champions League and Club World Cup in 2019 and maintaining a huge lead in the Premier League this season, rumours surrounding interest in their top players has not gone away.

Recently, it was claimed that Italian giants Juventus were plotting a huge bid for Van Dijk as they looked to take advantage of the Dutchman’s apparent willingness for a new challenge in the later years of his career.

The Sun claim that the Serie A champions’ interest is real, and they would be willing to spend a club record £150m on the 28-year-old.

Two men threatened to "kill" Mesut Ozil when they confronted the Arsenal midfielder's security guards, a London court heard on Tuesday.

The alleged incident happened outside Ozil's north London home just weeks after the former World Cup winner was targeted by moped attackers while driving in the area.

Security guard Kemil Sezer told the court that he and a colleague had been protecting Ozil, who was inside the house at the time, for several weeks.

Salaman Ekinci and Ferhat Ercun deny behaving in a threatening or abusive manner outside the house.

Assisted by a Turkish interpreter, Sezer told the Magistrates Court he first saw two men on the evening of August 8 last year before they returned around three hours later when it was dark.

Sezer said the men told him: "We're going to come back in five minutes and if security don't go from here, we're going to kill Mesut Ozil and kill you'.
"We started chasing them ... we got angry because Mesut Ozil, about two to three weeks prior, was attacked and we feared that the same thing would happen."

Ozil, who played international football for Germany but is of Turkish heritage, did not appear at the hearing.

Ekinci and Ercun, both 27, were present.

Asked by prosecutor Sarah Gabay how he felt, Sezer said: "Stressed. Mesut Ozil is loved by the Turkish people.

"We have that responsibility on us to protect him."

The threats came around two weeks after Ozil and Arsenal team-mate Sead Kolasinac were ambushed by moped muggers who tried unsuccessfully to steal their £200,000 watches in an unrelated incident.

Gabay said the pair were detained by the guards, who also had protection dogs, after they returned for a third time shortly after midnight before police were called.

"In interview, both defendants denied using the language and said there had been no conversation between them and said they had been attacked by the security guards," she said.

By Babajide Awoyinfa

(Reuters/NAN) Novak Djokovic once again defeated his great rival Roger Federer at a Grand Slam on Thursday in a three straight sets of 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the Australian Open final and remain on course for a record-extending eighth title at Melbourne Park.

It was the 50th act of one of the greatest rivalries of the sport and the odds were heavily stacked against Federer as the Swiss had not beaten the Serb at a major since 2012 on the grass courts of Wimbledon.

Federers journey on the blue courts of Melbourne Park had been far from smooth as he was two points from losing against John Millman in the third round and then saved seven match points to get past American Tennys Sandgren in Tuesdays quarter-final.

The 20-time Grand Slam winner, however, got out of the blocks briskly on a hot evening to wrest early initiative as Djokovic struggled with his service games.

Federer was up 4-1 and 40-0 on Djokovics serve, but the Serb managed to save all three breakpoints to win his first service game as his opponent made an array of unforced errors.

The Swiss, who had to take a lengthy medical timeout against Sandgren for a groin problem, was not keen on engaging Djokovic in rallies and hit an incredible 26 winners in the first set.

But the count of his errors also started creeping up as Djokovic regained control to get the set back on serve and then played and took the set with an imperious display in tiebreak.

Both players received medical attention at the end of the first set and it was once again Djokovic who raised his game up a notch to convert his fourth breakpoint chance with a forehand winner at the net to grab the second set.

Djokovic kept up the pressure on the 38-year-old Swiss in the third set and the crucial break came for him in the sixth game with a forehand groundstroke winner for a 4-2 lead.

The 32-year-old, winner of 16 Grand Slam titles, sealed his 27th win over Federer with his first match point when the Swiss found the net with a backhand for his 35th unforced error of the night.

In Sundays final, Djokovic will meet the winner of the other semi-final between Alexander Zverev of Germany and Austrian Dominic Thiem, who beat world number one Rafa Nadal in the quarter-finals. (NAN)

Source: NAN

The Fire House Church International Worship Centre, has threatened legal action against the Nation Newspaper over a report it published about an alleged miracle scam.

The report published on January 28 was titled: Drama As Man Dies In Coffin After Abuja Pastor Allegedly Paid N500,000 for Miracle Scam.

The publication had alleged that a trader who was paid N500,000 to pose as a dead man in a coffin to be brought back by an Abuja-based pastor, died before the miracle could be performed.

The man was reported by the newspaper to have passed on in the coffin before the General Overseer of the Church, located in Nyanya, Abuja, Bishop Emmanuel Esezobor could perform the alleged fake miracle.

However, Bishop Esezobor told newsmen in Abuja that the Church regarded the publication as defamatory and was going to sue the paper for damages.

He said that the report which earlier surfaced in 2016 was ignored by the church until recently when it was carried by the national newspaper and started trending.

He said that the report has caused he and his family members shame as well as caused him church members, adding that many people were beginning to lose faith in him.

He argued that there was no basis for the report to have been carried by the newspaper adding that it was totally false and that the identity of the said dead man could not be verified.

He further quoted the report as saying that the wife of the diseased got the police involved, the fake pastor was arrested, but got himself released through his influential friends; and was now back to performing strange miracles.

Esezobor said that the publication did not only link the alleged incident to his Church, but went further to mention his name as the alleged pastor, without verifying the report.

He stressed that there was no evidence to such claims: no picture of the casket or deceased trader, nor even his name.

The trader should also have a market union and fellow traders. From 2016 up till now there was no eye witness.

But, just on Jan. 28, the Nation Newspaper suddenly surfaced with the story and published the exact 2016 story on their online medium and which started trending.

Then the Church decided not to be quiet because it is defamation of character and feedimg wrong information to the public.

The Church and its legal department has taken it up to tell the Nation Newspaper that the story is false.

If I was arrested as alleged, to which police station or which Investigation Police officer (IPO), is handling the case?

I cannot travel, I cannot do anything because people are looking at me as someone who killed somebody, my family has lived with the pain, I have lost Church members. People no longer have faith in me, he said.

He said that he had called on the general public or anyone who has information about the alleged fake miracle to come up with facts and no one had come up since 2016.

Source: NAN