No fewer than 30 persons watching the Europa League football match between Manchester United and Anderlecht perished in Calabar on Thursday evening. A survivor told one of our correspondents that a transformer near the viewing centre located in the Iyang-Esu area of the Calabar Municipal Local Government Area exploded during the match and this caused a high-tension cable to drop on the viewing centre. The survivor said amid sobs, “It happened during the match between Manchester United and Anderlecht. I heard a deafening bang. I rushed out to see what was happening. When I turned back to go inside the viewing centre, I saw a cable coming  down on the centre and this electrocuted the viewers in the hall. “It was a horrible sight to behold. I wish I didn’t come out to watch the match. Come to think of it, I have DStv at home but I enjoy watching matches at viewing centres. I could have been dead. I can’t believe that the people I was chatting and joking with...

Nigeria Customs Service (File photo)   The Comptroller-General of Customs, Compliance Task Force, says it has impounded 223 vehicles, 13 of which belong to a senator in Kano State. The task force also said it seized other items, including foodstuff worth N269.5m in Kano and Jigawa states within eight months.   The Task Force Zonal Commander, Mr. Bala Dole, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria  in Kano on today (Monday). He said the vehicles belonging to the said senator were 12 new Toyota Hilux and one Land Cruiser Jeep. Dole, who declined to name the said senator, said the 13 vehicles were trailed from Maigatari in Jigawa, following an intelligence report.   “Based on the intelligence report, the vehicles were 30 in number, but we were able to trail 13 of them, 12 of which were hidden in the senator’s compound. “We sealed the house and retrieved the vehicles and they are now in our custody,”  Dole said.   ...

The players before the match   Chelsea defender, Ola Aina made his first appearance for Nigeria in a closed door friendly between two teams formed from the Super Eagles squad at the Hive Stadium in London, reports Completesportsnigeria.com.   Also making an appearance at your in the encounter were Eberchi Eze from Queens Park Rangers, Chuba Akpom, Noah Bazee, Tyronne Ebuehi and Manchester City defender Nathan Oseni.   The match was played in place of a botched friendly against Burkina Faso at the same venue after seven Stallions players failed to secure entry visas to fly into the United Kingdom.   The game ended 1-1 with Kelechi Iheanacho and Kayode Olanrewaju on target for both sides.   Stand-in skipper Ogenyi Onazi led a Team 'A' side comprising of Daniel Akpeyi, Leon Balogun, Ola Aina, William-Troost Ekong, Elderson Echiejile, Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, Kelechi Iheanacho, Moses Simon, Alex Iwobi.   The Team 'B' side cap...

Papers    Punch Today Thisday Today Daily Sun Today Guardian Today Vanguard Today Leadership Today Tribune Today The Nation Today Daily Times Today Daily Trust Today Daily Independents Today National Mirror Today BusinessDay Today Sahara Reporters World Today Sports Today Infotech Today Entertainment Today Business Today Politics Today Features Today Columns Today Nigerian Job Today

  Victor Moses   The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has told Chelsea wingback, Victor Moses, to be more committed to the national team or miss out on winning the African Footballer of the Year award.   Moses reported to the team’s camp ahead of the friendly against Senegal, but returned to the Premier League club, after claiming he was carrying a knock.   It is understood that coach Gernot Rohr was visibly angry with the player , who had previously pulled out.   In an interview with The Guardian, NFF President Amaju Pinnick, said:  “Moses needs to understand that with his current performance with Chelsea, he stands a chance of becoming the next African player of the year, especially if his club should win the EPL title. “But he needs to play regularly for the national team to make such dream come true. To be honest, Moses is one of the best African players at the moment, but as I said, he needs the Super Eagles.”   Speaki...

Arsenal forward, Alex Iwobi, has said he could influence a move for his international team-mate Kelechi Iheanacho, from Manchester City to the Emirates. Iwobi however said although he wants the Gunners to go for the “funniest guy I know”, he is not sure a deal can happen soon. “I tell you, you should see us [him and Iheanacho] on Snapchat! Always bantering,” Iwobi said. “We’re roommates right now and he’s just the funniest guy I know. ‘We do get on well off the pitch as well as on the pitch. “Maybe I can try to convince Arsenal to sign him – but I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Iwobi shocked football fans, after a video of him speaking fluent Pidgin English was posted on Twitter by another team-mate Ogenyi Onazi. The 20-year-old who grew up mostly in the UK, explained how he learned the language. “Everyone could speak English, I’d get along fine, but they’d all say, “come on, you need to learn your language”. So yeah, I’ve learned a bit, which helps. “When ...

Marvin, the father of ADO Den Haag defender, Tyronne Ebuehi, has expressed his delight over his son’s decision to finally commit his international future to Nigeria. Ebuehi has a Dutch mother, but his father is from the African country. He was named in coach Gernot Rohr’s squad to face Algeria in a 2018 World Cup qualifier last November, but the 21-year-old rejected the call-up explaining the time was not right . Ebuehi was in line for his debut against Burkina Faso in an international friendly on Monday, but the game has been called off. “I must confess to you that I am glad that he has finally committed to Nigeria. I am very proud as a father. The first call-up, there was a misunderstanding and things went the way they did, unfortunately,” the Nigeria Football Federation’s official website quoted Marvin as saying on Sunday. “I apologise for that misunderstanding. I have always said that he would have to play for Nigeria at senior level, because I am proud ...

Papers    Punch Today Thisday Today Daily Sun Today Guardian Today Vanguard Today Leadership Today Tribune Today The Nation Today Daily Times Today Daily Trust Today Daily Independents Today National Mirror Today BusinessDay Today Sahara Reporters World Today Sports Today Infotech Today Entertainment Today Business Today Politics Today Features Today Columns Today Nigerian Job Today

  Neymar   Barcelona sensation Neymar has talked up a possible move to Manchester United, insisting that every player would like to work with Jose Mourinho.   The Brazil international has long been linked with a switch to Old Trafford, with newspaper reports in February suggesting that United were ready to launch a £200 million bid.   And Neymar has now opened the door to a possible move to United, insisting that Mourinho's side are one of the teams that he admires and that "any player" would like to work with the Portuguese.   He told The Sun:  "The Premier League is a championship that amazes me. "I like the playing style and the teams. And who knows, someday, I would like to play at it, yes.  "I admire Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool - these are the teams that are always there fighting.  "And then you have high-level coaches like Mourinho and Guardiola. These are coaches with whom any player would ...

Mbongeni Mzimela   Goalkeeper, Mbongeni Mzimela was the unexpected two-goal hero as Platinum Stars of South Africa booked an African Confederation Cup play-off place.   The 31-year-old converted two penalties in a 3-1 victory over Vipers of Uganda that overturned a 1-0 away defeat in the last-32 tie.   Mzimela, who also scored from a spot kick in a midweek South African FA Cup victory, put Stars in front after only two minutes.   Ndumiso Mabena doubled the lead from a free-kick before half-time in Rustenburg.   Milton Karisa scored for Confederation Cup debutants Vipers on 55 minutes to nudge his club in front on the away goal rule.   Mzimela had the final say, however, converting another penalty a minute into stoppage time to rescue the South African club.   Stars will now go into the play-off round where the winners of the Confederation Cup first round are drawn against the losers of the Champions League first round, w...

  Yaya Toure   The Manchester City midfielder, 33, is out of contract at the end of the season.   Dimitri Seluk, who represents Toure, admits he’s likely to leave and admits he would be open to joining City’s fierce rivals.   He told Sky Sports:  "If Manchester United make an offer I will negotiate, no problem. "A move to Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal would be considered.”   Toure started the season out of City’s first-team plans after his agent had a row with Pep Guardiola. It was eventually patched up after Seluk apologised but Toure’s return to the first-team fray is likely to be a short-term one.   That’s despite the former Barcelona man declaring yesterday that he wanted to remain at the Etihad.   Toure told Sky Sports:  “I definitely want to stay. I love this football club. “To be honest, the manager was the one who tried to get my best. Last year I was overweight, it was a difficult situati...

  Paul Pogba   Manchester United midfielder, Paul Pogba will miss Sunday’s Premier League match at Middlesbrough’ with a hamstring injury.   The France international pulled up in the second half of United’s Europa League win over FC Rostov on Thursday and had to be replaced by Marouane Fellaini.   The 24-year-old is also expected to miss France’s matches against Luxembourg and Spain later this month. United boss, Jose Mourinho could not say how much longer Pogba would be out.   Asked whether he would be out for around three weeks, Mourinho replied:  “Yeah. I don’t know for sure, but for sure, no Middlesbrough and no national team.”   Pogba, the world’s most expensive player, has provided seven goals and five assists in 41 matches for United this season, but has been criticised for his recent performances.   Before the match, Mourinho defended his player by saying:  “I feel that the world is losing values and I am s...

Jose Mourinho prepares to hand out the banana   Argentine defender, Marcos Rojo provided one of the major talking points of Manchester United's Europa League tie with Rostov - by eating a banana on the pitch on Thursday night.   Jose Mourinho 's side progressed to the quarter-finals of the competition with a 2-1 aggregate thanks to Juan Mata's second half strike.   Fans were left mystified when Ashley Young was seen handing Rojo a peeled banana for him to eat while on the field of play.     Speaking afterwards, the manager admitted that the unusual sight was down to fatigue, a factor which is likely to play an increasing role between now and the end of the season.   Mourinho told BT Sport :  "I was tired many times. I know about the body needing anything, and the player asked for a banana. The banana situation isn't funny at all, we have to respect a player's physical situation.   He gives it to Ashley Young to pa...

The Nigerian Senate’s current war against the leadership of the Nigerian Customs Service has its roots in the fact that Customs officials seized a bulletproof Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) owned by Senate President Bukola Saraki.  Our investigators discovered that Nigerian Customs officers in Lagos had on January 11, 2017, intercepted and impounded a Range Rover SUV which carried documents that claimed its chassis number was “SALGV3TF3EA190243.” Customs sources told our correspondent that the value of the car was N298 million, which meant that customs duty of N74 million should have been paid on the car.  At the interception of the car, its driver claimed that the vehicle belonged to the Senate President and presented a letter from the National Assembly liaison office in Lagos, indicating that the driver of the luxury vehicle was authorized to drive the Senate President’s official Range Rover bulletproof car. Our sources disclosed that when ask...

Ayodele Fayose   A court hearing of the alleged sharp practices by Governor Ayodele Fayose of the People's Democratic Party and his cohorts on Thursday, entertained damning revelations of monumental fraud reportedly committed in the build up of the 2014 election in Ekiti State.   According to the Punch, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday, called its first prosecution witness before a Federal High Court in Abuja to prosecute the trial.   A close ally of the controversial governor, Mr. Abiodun Agbele is currently standing trial alongside the politician for money laundering charges. ‎The first prosecution witness, Oluseye Alade, who is an official of Zenith Bank Plc, gave a breakdown of how the sum of N1.2bn allegedly airlifted to Akure by a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro on June 17, 2016, was distributed by Agbele. He did not disclose where the aircraft flew from. But he said he was informed by a colleague of h...

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has dismissed concerns that Paul Pogba is struggling to find a role in his tactical system and told Sky Sports he was signed "for the next seven or eight years. " Pogba, who returned to United from Juventus for a world-record fee in the summer, has not produced his best form since his return and questions have been raised as to his role.  Mourinho has recently pushed Pogba into a No. 10 position and former United captain Gary Neville said after a poor showing in Sunday's 4-0 defeat at Chelsea that the France international appears "confused." However, former Inter Milan boss Mourinho argued that Pogba was still adapting after four years in Serie A, saying: "He can play in so many positions. The problem is not the position. The problem is not the tactical system. "The problem is, in my opinion, somebody that comes from a different style of football and needs this time to be at his best level in ...