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Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim has hailed Amad Diallo after the winger helped the Red Devils to beat Manchester City 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.
Amorim said the Ivory Coast international is so good and humble.
Amad was impressive as Man United defeated Pep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad Stadium.
The 22-year-old won a penalty for Man United against City which Bruno Fernandes converted.
Amad also scored the winning goal that gave United the victory.
“He’s so good, so humble. But let’s stay calm with Amad, keep calm,” Amorim told Sky Sports after the game.
“Ten Hag and Van Nistelrooy did a great job with him, we continue that. Really important.”
Following the conclusion of the 2024 Cosafa Under-17 Boys’ Championship where Zambia emerged champions, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has congratulated the lads.FAZ president Andrew Kamanga has congratulated the lads for capping their Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations qualification with a trophy.
“On behalf of my executive committee and the entire football family, I wish to congratulate the under-17 boys’ national team and technical bench for being crowned Cosafa champions,” said Kamanga.
“This is special as it has added to our Cosafa trophy haulage this year, where we won the senior women, under-20 women, under-17 girls and boys. The under-17 boys made it four Cosafa trophies in the history of our game from the first one won in 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2024.”
Kamanga added 2024 has closed on a high and will give his executive impetus to pick up next year. “This success is as a result of a robust grassroots strategy anchored on our 10-year strategic plan.
“Our technical directorate has tapped into our decentralization program where talent is tapped across the country. A big thank you to the provinces, clubs, government, FAZ secretariat and the entire football family for continuing to support the Zambian game,” he explained.
“With this foundation, 2025 can only get better for Zambian football.”
Zambia successfully defended the Cosafa title they won in Malawi in 2022 by defeating Angola 2-1 to clinch the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations | COSAFA Qualifier at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto Stadium on Friday.
Mkushi based Mapalo Simute was named Player of the Tournament while Abel Nyirongo won the top scorer’s gong with seven goals.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has firmly denied claims that it opposes President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proposed Tax Reform Bills currently under review by the National Assembly.
Earlier reports had alleged that the RMAFC had “vehemently rejected” the contentious tax reform proposals.
However, addressing these claims during a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, RMAFC Chairman Dr. Mohammed Shehu labeled the allegations as “false” and “malicious.”
He clarified that the commission fully supports the bills and has actively participated in the reform process.
The tax reform initiative has sparked widespread debate in recent weeks, particularly regarding the allocation and derivation of Value Added Tax (VAT).
Dr. Shehu emphasized that the RMAFC has submitted a detailed memorandum outlining its position, which aligns with international best practices and President Tinubu’s vision for a more equitable and sustainable fiscal framework for Nigeria.
“We commend President Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to repositioning Nigeria’s revenue base and his bold steps toward addressing the nation’s fiscal challenges,” Shehu stated.
He described the proposed tax reforms as a pivotal step in harnessing untapped revenue streams, improving Nigeria’s revenue-to-GDP ratio, and strengthening the country’s fiscal performance globally.
Expressing disappointment over the spread of inaccurate information, Dr. Shehu urged the public to disregard such reports and called on the media to uphold journalistic integrity by disseminating only verified information to support the nation’s fiscal reform agenda.
As a key stakeholder in Nigeria’s fiscal policy, Dr. Shehu reaffirmed the RMAFC’s role in providing expert financial guidance. He also highlighted the commission’s collaboration with the National Assembly to ensure the proposed bills address critical issues like tax evasion and promote fiscal equity effectively.
Shehu said, “Once again, we reiterate our total support for the tax reform, which aligns with our goal of helping the President in his ongoing fiscal reforms. We acknowledge our responsibility to provide professional guidance whenever necessary and pledge to continue working tirelessly to support the President’s vision for a more prosperous Nigeria.
“It is important to recognize that the RMAFC is a critical stakeholder in Nigeria’s fiscal framework. Our mandate is to ensure an equitable revenue-sharing formula among the three tiers of government. We take this responsibility seriously and are committed to providing expert advice to support the government’s fiscal policy objectives.
“In this regard, we have been working closely with the National Assembly to provide technical input on the proposed tax reform bills. Our goal is to ensure that the legislation is robust, effective, and aligns with global best practices.”
While recognising the reform’s challenges, including its potential impact on businesses and individuals, Shehu reassured that the RMAFC is committed to engaging with stakeholders constructively to resolve these concerns.
“We believe that the proposed tax reform bills have the potential to transform Nigeria’s fiscal landscape. The bills aim to promote fiscal equity, reduce tax evasion, and increase revenue generation. These objectives are in line with the RMAFC’s mandate, and we are committed to supporting their implementation,” he added.
Shehu highlighted the need for Nigerians to remain dedicated to President Tinubu’s vision of a prosperous Nigeria and to work collaboratively to guarantee the effective implementation of the tax reforms.
He also called on the media to prioritize truth, accuracy, and fairness in their reporting, warning against the risks associated with spreading misinformation.
Arsenal legend Paul Merson has heaped praise on Chelsea star Cole Palmer for his impressive performances this season. Merson believes the England international could be a key player in Chelsea’s Premier League title bid.
Palmer recently led Chelsea to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, scoring two penalties.
“He’s phenomenal. No one really knew much about him when he came from Manchester City, so it was a free hit for him. But in the last seven months, he’s now the big boy,” Merson told Sky Sports.
“The name of the game for opposition is to stop Cole Palmer. Teams are trying to stop him and they can’t do it. That shows you how good he is. He’s too intelligent. He’s always got space. Everybody needs an X-factor to win a Premier League title, and Chelsea have it with him.”
PAULETTE ORJIME-Abuja
Director-General of NYSC, Brig. Gen. Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed has applauded the Kwara State Government for sanctioning a school teacher, Hajia Fatimoh Nike Hamzat, who recently assaulted a female Corps member, serving at Government Day Junior Secondary School, Kulende, Ilorin, the state capital.
Ahmed commended the investigative panel set up by the government for its objectivity and fairness in line with the Public Service Rules.
He said the scheme would not condone any form of maltreatment meted out on its Corps members.
According to him, as people who are on national assignment, and contributing to nation-building and unity of Nigeria, Corps members deserve to be valued, appreciated, and accorded decent treatment by their employers and members of their host communities.
Ahmed stated further that the security and welfare of Corps members remains the topmost priority of his administration.
He, however urged all Corps members to abide by their Oath of Allegiance and continue to discharge their statutory responsibilities towards national unity and socio-economic development of the country as good ambassadors of the scheme.
The Corps member in question had been verbally and physically assaulted by Hajia Fatimoh Nike Hamzat for failing to ‘greet her properly’.
The law-abiding but aggrieved Corps member then reported the incident, and NYSC forwarded the same complaint to the State Government through the appropriate channels leading to the setting up of an investigative panel, the findings which the NYSC found fair and commendable.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has described as a welcome development the dismissal of a case challenging his qualification for the just concluded governorship election in the state
This was contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, on Monday in Akure, the state capital.
DAILY POST reports that the Federal High Court sitting in Akure, on Monday dismissed the suit challenging the qualifications of Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Olayide Adelami, both candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the November 16 governorship election in the state.
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the election, Agboola Ajayi, filed the suit.
Aiyedatiwa lauded the court for the timely dismissal of the case which he described as a needless distraction.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has praised Moises Caicedo for his exceptional performance in the team’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
“Caicedo really deserves the best because he is a fantastic guy,” Maresca said.
“He’s very humble, and everything we ask, he’s there to do it. I’m loving his performances.”
Caicedo was instrumental in controlling the midfield alongside Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia in the high stakes encounter.
His box-to-box marking has been key in Chelsea’s dominance this season, marking a turnaround in form after a challenging first season following his record £115 million move from Brighton.
The win moves Chelsea level on points with Arsenal.
Goals from Nicolas Jackson, Enzo Fernandez, and Cole Palmer ensured Chelsea ended the game on clean slate.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has hailed the reappointment of the former Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The President, in a statement on Friday, noted that the unanimous appointment for a second four-year term demonstrates the trust and confidence the international community places in her leadership, to advance multilateral trade for sustainable global development.
Gistreel recalls that Okonjo-Iweala, made history in 2021 as the first African and first woman to lead the 164-nation-member WTO.
Her first term as the seventh Director-General of the WTO will expire on August 31, 2025, while the second term begins on September 1.
Tinubu, stated that he is confident that her continued leadership will strengthen the international economic organisation’s role as a critical pillar of inclusive global economic growth and good governance in the next four years.
He also assured Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria’s steadfast support as she consolidates her bold reforms, dedication to equitable global trade practices, and tireless efforts to promote international cooperation.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has praised Thomas Partey for his performance in the win over Sporting CP on Tuesday.
The Gunners cruised to a 5-1 victory over the Portuguese side at the Estadio José Alvalade, thanks to an excellent performance from the Ghanaian midfielder.
After Arsenal’s resounding victory, Arteta praised the 30-year-old’s consistency and influence on the pitch, highlighting his ability to control the game.
“It was one of the best performances I’ve seen from him, especially the way he dominated the game,” he said. “This year he’s been very consistent because he always has a role to play, it’s very important, he’s a huge player for us,” he added.
Thomas Partey has so far played 18 times for Arsenal in all competitions this season and will be hoping to continue his impressive form with the Gunners taking on West Ham United at the Olympic Stadium in London on Saturday.
Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, commended his squad after a 3-2 victory over Southampton in the second half.
Before Mohamed Salah saved them, the Premier League leaders were on the verge of losing to the lowest team.
The home team seized a surprising 2-1 lead after the restart as Liverpool failed to capitalise on a Southampton blunder that had given them the opening goal.
Then, Salah scored twice, giving Liverpool an eight-point lead at the top.
“In the second half I saw the intensity I was looking for in the first half.
“Southampton make it really difficult for many teams, including top clubs, and they made it difficult today, though we dominated the game completely,” Slot told Sky Sports.
“There was not enough urgency to arrive in the box (in the first half), we just kept the ball instead of attacking the box.
“Although we fell behind in the second half we showed more urgency and intensity.
“That led to numerous chances and eventually two goals. It is tough to create chances against a 4-5-1 low block but we know Southampton want to play out from the back so you have to be really aggressive, if not they have a really good game plan”.
Salah has scored six goals in his past five league games, and his double put him two goals behind top scorer Erling Haaland with ten goals this season.
Salah only needed to touch the ball outside the box once to allow it to glide past the charging goalkeeper and into the net before he scored the game-winning penalty kick to surprise Southampton with his first goal.
“If you want to win you need to score goals and we know Mo can score,” Slot said.
“For me his first goal is the most important as we scored out of nowhere. Then after that it was just waiting for us to score another.”
Slot has already won 10 of his 12 Premier League games as Liverpool’s manager in his first season, but he faces what could be his most difficult week yet when they play Manchester City on Sunday and Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“They are two teams who have dominated football the last few years. So two big games and that’s why we needed to win today. That is what I am happy about,” Slot said.
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has congratulated the under-20 Women National Team for winning the Cosafa championship.
FAZ president Andrew Kamanga says the victory by the under-20 girls reaffirms Zambia’s reputation as the regional kings.
The Zambia under-20 concluded the five-team Cosafa tournament with a 1-0 over Mozambique to record a 100% winning record at the games played on a round robin format.
“On behalf of my executive and the Zambian football community, I wish to congratulate the Zambia under-20 team and technical bench for this sweet victory of the Cosafa championship,” Kamanga says.
“Not too long ago the Copper Queens were crowned champions at the Cosafa tournament and now the under-20. Our under-17 girls and boys will be competing at the Cosafa next month and we have no doubt they will be inspired by their seniors,” he says.
“This adds to football’s gift to the nation on the occasion marking Zambia’s 60th Independence anniversary. The Chipolopolo qualification to the AFCON a few days ago was yet another great day in our game.”
Kano Pillars captain, Rabiu Ali, has called on the club’s fans to keep supporting the team no matter the challenges encountered in the season.
Ali grabbed the lone goal in Kano Pillars 1-0 away win against Bendel Insurance in Benin City on Saturday.
The veteran midfielder described the fans support at the game as overwhelming.
“We thank God for the victory, and the support from our fans was overwhelming,” Ali stated in a post-match interview.
“It felt like we were playing right in Kano.
“We know our fans back home are constantly praying for us. As we look forward to playing again at the Sani Abacha Stadium, I urge all our supporters to accept whatever results we achieve.
“Football is about winning, drawing, or losing, and we need to embrace all outcomes as true fans.”
The Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Gwabin Musa has hailed the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in Counter Insurgency in the North East for exonerating the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) from indictments over forceful abortions in the North East.
The International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC and Reuters had accused the armed forces of perpetrating forceful abortions and other infractions in the North East.
Brigadier General, Tukur Gusau, the Director of Defence Information in a statement on Saturday said the outcome of the investigation revealed that the report of the panel specifically stated that the allegations of systematic abortions, torture, rape and extra-judicial killings levelled against the AFN were false.
The statement said the CDS commends the 7-man panel led by Justice Abdu Aboki (rtd) for painstakingly carrying out a thorough job since its inauguration in March 2023 by the Nigerian Human Rights Commission.
“Gen Musa wishes to seize this opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the defence of human rights and resolve to ensure peace reigns in the country.
He said, “No amount of false accusations will distract the AFN from exercising its constitutional mandate of protecting the territorial integrity of the nation.”
Former Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel, has said that Arsenal and Manchester United target, Viktor Gyokeres, is ready to play in the Premier League.
Gyokeres has been outstanding for the Portuguese side, Sporting CP, since joining the club from Coventry City in 2023.
Gyokeres has gone on to score 66 goals with 19 assists from 67 games for the club.
Manchester United fans are hoping that Sporting Ruben Amorim, who is taking over at Old Trafford next week, brings the Swede to the club.
Manchester United have struggled to score goals this season, with just nine in 10 Premier League games.
However, Manchester United are likely to face competition from Arsenal for Gyokeres’ services.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, Chelsea legends, Mikel was full of praise for the Swedish striker.
“Definitely. For me, he is a Premier League player, he’s a player that suits the Premier League. He has every attribute to be a Premier League player, strong, big, quick, and most importantly goalscoring,” said Obi Mikel.
“He can score goals and when you look at it, his goal-scoring ratio is better than any striker right now in Europe, the stats are there to back it up.
“He has been absolutely fantastic. Scoring three goals against Man City, you don’t hear that often. He has been fantastic and looks a little bit like [Erling] Haaland.”
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