Author: Prince Ade ADe

Carlos Alcaraz’s bid for a third straight title at the Madrid Open was ended by Andrey Rublev. Russian seventh seed Rublev rallied from a set down in the quarter-final to win 4-6 6-3 6-2 and break Alcaraz’s 14-match winning streak in the Spanish capital. The 20-year-old second seed was aiming to become the first player to win three consecutive Madrid Open singles titles. Rublev will face American 12th seed Taylor Fritz or Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo for a place in the final. After a gruelling win against Jan-Lennard Struff that lasted just under three hours on Tuesday, Alcaraz struggled to find…

Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea’s medical and coaching staff are trying to work out why the club have been so badly plagued by injuries, with as many as 14 players likely to be missing for Thursday’s visit of Tottenham. Defenders Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi are the latest additions to the list since Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa, in which the Chelsea boss was forced to name five academy graduates aged 20 and under on the bench. The Blues’ campaign has been badly disrupted by the unavailability of players, including several acquired at huge expense as part of a £1…

Nigerian workers on Wednesday joined their counterparts in other parts of the world to mark the 2024 International Labour Day, also known as May Day or Workers’ Day. The May Day, an annual ritual celebrated on May 1st of every year, honours the contributions and feats of workers worldwide as well as the vital roles of workers in building resilient societies and productive economies. This year’s Workers’ Day is the first under President Bola Tinubu who was sworn in as the leader of Africa’s most populous nation on May 29, 2023. In a statement, Nigeria’s Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo…

The Federal Government has announced that it was set to issue a fully valid operating licence to the 650,000 barrels per day capacity Dangote Petroleum Refinery. It announced this at the Stakeholders’ Consultation Forum on Midstream and Petroleum Host Community Development Trust Regulations organised by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority in Abuja. The NMDPRA, an agency of the Federal Government, however, explained that though it had awarded a pre-commissioning licence to the 20 billion dollars refinery, a fully valid operating licence would be issued to the Dangote refinery soon. Dangote refinery was inaugurated by former President Muhammadu…

Brazilian sensation, Vinicius Junior scored twice as Real Madrid forced hosts Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie at the Allianz Arena Tuesday night. Vinicious took advantage of two errors from Bayern defender Kim Min-jae, first beating him for pace and slotting a shot past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for the opener, before converting a penalty after the South Korean fouled Rodrygo in the box. England captain Harry Kane had netted a penalty of his own, beating Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin early in the second half after Jamal Musiala was…

Defending champions, Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin, will on Wednesday begin the defence of their President Federation Cup title when they take on Stormers FC of Abeokuta, Ogun State in the round of 64 at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja at 4pm. The champions beat Enugu Rangers 1-0 at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State to win the title in 2023 to earn their fourth FA Cup triumph. Bendel Insurance emerged champions of the Edo State FA Cup with a convincing 3-1 victory over Ine Stars on the 31st of March. The last time Insurance met Stormers…

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, dismissed two separate suits challenging the People’s Democratic Party’s primary election that produced Asue Ighodalo as the party’s governorship candidate for the Edo poll. Delivering judgments in the separate suits, which was filed by Adizetu Umoru, the second suit, filed by Moses Alabi and Christopher Oboarer, the court dismissed the suits on the premise of a lack of locus standi on the part of the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission, PDP, acting national chairman, Umar Damagun, Setonji Koshoedo, PDP’s National Working Committee, and…

The Federal Government on Tuesday approved 25 percent and 35 percent salary increase for civil servants across various consolidated salary structures. According to a statement signed by the Head of Press, National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, Emmanuel Njoku, the increases takes effect on the 1st of January, 2024. The statement added that the augmentation applies to the six remaining consolidated salary structures, namely the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure, Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure, Consolidated Police Salary Structure, Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure, Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure, and Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure. Also approved for augmentation…

Former Nigerian international and a member of the Nigeria Football Federation Technical Committee, Victor Ikpeba has disclosed why the NFF settled for Finidi George as the head coach of the Super Eagles. On Monday, the former Super Eagles Right Winger was announced as the permanent replacement for Portuguese tactician Jose Peseiro who led the team to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire. Speaking on Monday Night Football on SuperSport, Ikpeba, who was one of those that recommended George, revealed that the NFF appointed him because of financial constraints. After congratulating his former international teammate,…

Nigeria’s Super Falcons first-choice goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie has been voted the best goalkeeper of the season in the French Division 1 Feminine League. The 23-year-old Paris FC shot stopper was announced as the winner of the the award Monday night. She received the individual accolade following a stellar season in which she garnered a reputation as a penalty expert, saving seven spot-kicks in the league and Champions League, the highest in Europe this season. Her penalty-saving heroics saw her lead Paris FC to shoot-out wins over Arsenal and Wolfsburg in the Champions League. She also guided the club to the…