Football, World News

Record-breaking World Cup goalkeeper Carbajal dies at 93

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Former Mexico goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal, the first footballer to play in five World Cups, has died at the age of 93, local media announced on Tuesday.

‘Tota’, as Carbajal was known, appeared in goal for Mexico at the World Cups in Brazil in 1950, Switzerland in 1954, Sweden in 1958, Chile in 1962 and England in 1966.

He made 11 caps for his country in these competitions.

Carbajal held the record of playing in five World Cups for 32 years until 1998, when German midfielder Lothar Matthaus reached the mark.

Carbajal’s compatriots Rafael Marquez and Andres Guardado, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo have also since equalled his record.

Although Carbajal said Real Madrid scouted him between 1950 and 1954, the Mexican never left his domestic league.He played most of his career in his hometown with Club Leon.

Football

Man City not on revenge mission against Real Madrid- Guardiola

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says his players must on Tuesday avoid falling into the trap of trying to avenge last year’s UEFA Champions League semi-final defeat to Real Madrid.

“It will be a huge mistake to think we are here for revenge; we are not! We must face it as another opportunity (to reach the final),” Guardiola told a news conference later on Monday.

Both teams will meet on Tuesday at the same tournament stage, with Manchester City away in the first leg in Madrid.

Guardiola was visibly upset with a comment by his midfielder Rodri earlier in their press conference at Santiago Bernabeu earlier on Monday.

He said he looked forward to “a chance for revenge” against Real Madrid.

“We are here to get a good result because everything will be decided in Manchester, not here,” he said.

“What happened last season happened, period. This is another opportunity, nothing more.”

“The best lesson we can take from last season is that we are not coming here for revenge but for a good result. And to have the final open for Manchester.”

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti spoke earlier on Monday about the importance of going into the second leg with a mental edge.

Asked about the comments, Guardiola was once again uneasy, disagreeing with his opposite number.

“Last year, we got here with a huge mental edge after winning well (in) the first leg. But look what happened,” Guardiola said.

“Ferland Mendy saved a ball off the goal line, and what happened still happened. Those are the details that take you to a final or not.”

After beating Real Madrid 4-3 in a thriller in the first leg last year in Manchester, Manchester City saw the Spanish giants fight back from the brink of elimination.

They beat them 3-1 after extra time to get to the final.

“When I arrived at Manchester City, I thought I would win the Champions League in the first year, then in the next one… and the one after that.

“And the last one, the same thing. That’s my mentality. And here we are, we are here to try again,” Guardiola said.

Football

Manchester United rules out permanent deal for Dutch striker Wout Weghorst

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Manchester United have reportedly decided not to sign Wout Weghorst on a permanent deal this summer, with Erik ten Hag instead drawing up a four-man shortlist for an alternative striker.

The Burnley forward joined United on loan in January but has since scored just two goals in 26 appearances.

He arrived during the first half of the campaign on loan at Besiktas, where he scored nine goals in 18 games.

Weghorst also impressed for the Netherlands at the Qatar World Cup, but he has failed to make an impact at Old Trafford.

The 6ft 6in target man started the first 19 games he was available for in all competitions, only to slip down the pecking order with substitute appearances.

The 30-year-old is yet to find the net in 13 Premier League matches, which has led to criticism that he is not good enough for a club of such size.

Due to his struggle, Manchester Evening News are reporting that a permanent move to United is not on the cards for him this summer.

Weghorst still has two years remaining on his Burnley contract having joined the Clarets for £12.5million from Wolfsburg in January 2022.

A new striker is the priority for United this summer with Tottenham’s Harry Kane their top target.

Football

NFF to install VAR in regional stadium in Nigeria

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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed plans to install Video Assistant Referees (VAR) in regional stadiums in the country as plans are underway to train and retrain referees to achieve the purpose.

The President of the federation, Malam Ibrahim Gusau, disclosed this in Ilorin at the National Elective Delegates Conference of the Nigeria Referees’ Association (NRA) over the weekend.

Gusau, represented by an NFF official, Malam Muhammed Ameenu, charged the incoming leadership of the association to come up with development plans, to forecast, organise and ensure the future of Nigeria referees are properly nurtured and watered towards the growth of the game.

While reiterating the unflinching support of the NFF to NRA in its quest to change the face of football in the country, Gusau said the installation of VAR is to ensure the growth and development of football.

Football

Liga F: Oshoala scores as Barcelona Femení win fourth consecutive title

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Asiata Oshoala was on the scoresheet as FC Barcelona Femení thrashed Sporting Huelva 3-0 on Sunday to clinch their fourth consecutive Liga F title in the Spain Women’s top-flight division, with four matches to spare.

Despite having the upper hand for most of the first half, Barcelona only managed to score in the 39th minute of the encounter, as Codina Panedas’s goal gave the home side a halftime lead.

Meanwhile, Jana Fernandez doubled the lead for the Catalans 14 minutes after the break as coach Jonatan Giráldez’s side maintained control of the encounter.

Oshoala’s 89th-minute goal sealed the victory for Barcelona as they successfully defended the title they have won consecutively for the last four seasons.

They have now won the Spanish Liga F for a record eight times.

Oshoala has been versatile for the Spanish club this season as they maintain a 100 per cent record of 26 wins in 26 matches in the ongoing 2022/23 Liga F campaign.

They also boast 108 league goals this season, of which the reigning African best women’s footballer scored 20.

The Catalan-based club are still on track for a double as they are into the final of the season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League, where Barcelona will either face English side Arsenal or German outfit Wolfsburg.

Football, World News

Arsenal team plane bursts into flames on runway during takeoff to London

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A plane carrying the Arsenal women’s team back to London after a Champions League match, burst into flames as it was about to take off, forcing the players and staff to remain in Germany.

Photos show flames shooting from an engine on the Boeing 737 on the runway at Braunschweig Wolfsburg Airport in Germany.

The 7.30pm Sunday, April 23 flight was due to take off just a few hours after Arsenal secured a 2-2 draw against VfL Wolfsburg in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final.

The plane made a loud bang just before it was about to take off on April 23, according to reports.

Horrified pilots saw the blaze and quickly pulled the plane up on the tarmac to evacuate all the passengers.

An airport spokesman told German newspaper BILD a bird strike on the engine had caused the fire.

The airport official added that nobody was hurt during the incident.

The team and Arsenal staff were put up in a nearby hotel.

They were then flown back to London on Monday on another plane.

Football, Lifestyle

I would have cost around €150m in today’s transfer market – Super Eagles legend, Jay Jay Okocha says

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Nigerian football legend, Jay-Jay Okocha, has said he would have cost around €150m in today’s transfer market for clubs to secure his services.

The former PSG, Fenerbahçe, and Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder was commenting on the high fees clubs now pay to sign players.

In an interview with hurriyet, Okocha believed he would have cost around €150m going by the current transfer market.“Maybe 1 billion should have been paid for me,” he said.

“They paid £106m for their defensive midfielder Chelsea. To a player from Portugal. I would have cost around €150m. My assists, dribbles… World football started to pay a lot of money. Such would be the numbers of players of this quality.”

The 49-year-old also expressed his sadness at leaving Fenerbahçe, where he was loved by the fans.

He added,

“It was a really difficult decision. I left very sadly. I was very happy in Fenerbahçe. Moreover, I married my wife in Turkey. My children were about to be born.

“When I went to the World Cup, I had no such thing in mind. After the matches in the World Cup, an offer came from PSG. Aziz Yildirim was the president. He didn’t want to send me. He didn’t even interview the PSG Club. This process has been very difficult. Despite my sadness, when such an offer came, I wanted to make money for Fenerbahçe.”

Football, World News

“I’m unaware of it” -Hakimi’s mother reacts to reports her son transferred his wealth to her

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Saida Mouh, the mother of PSG defender Achraf Hakimi, has finally reacted to the reports making the rounds that her son transferred all his assets to her.

Recall that an unverified report went viral claiming that Hakimi’s wife will not be getting anything in their divorce because it was discovered that Hakimi has no asset in his name as all are in his mother’s name.

Reacting, Hakimi’s mother said it is also news to her because she has no idea.

“If he has taken any action to protect himself, I’m unaware of it,” Morocco World News quoted Hakimi’s mother as saying.

She added that if it is true, there is nothing wrong with her son taking such actions to protect himself.

“What’s the problem if the news is true? If my son does not do this, he will not be able to get rid of that woman [Hiba Abouk],” Hakimi’s mother said.

Football

Ex-Super Eagles star, Emmanuel Ebiede down with Hepatitis and swollen stomach

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Former Super Eagles forward, Emmanuel Ebiede is hospitalised in Port Harcourt, Rivers State after being detected with Hepatitis B.

The retired footballer’s younger sister, Joy, confirmed the development to Punch on Wednesday morning, April 5, 2023, hours after photos of Ebiede with protruding stomach went viral on social media.

According to Joy, the 47-year-old former Flying Eagles star was rushed to the hospital by club members last Friday.

“He is in BMH hospital in Port Harcourt but can’t talk properly now. He’s been here (hospital) since Friday, I came in on Saturday from Bayelsa State to look after him,” Joy said, when our correspondent asked to speak with the retired footballer on phone,” she explained.

“His daughter called me that Daddy (Ebiede) was not feeling fine. So, I got here and saw his situation. It was his club members that rushed him to the hospital. Initially, it was malaria and typhoid, but his stomach got swollen.

“He underwent some tests to detect the cause of the swollen stomach. The test results diagnosed Hepatitis B. He’s not stooling freely, so I don’t know if that’s the cause of the swollen stomach.”

Joy, who said Ebiede had not worked lately, added that his medical bills had been taken care of by his benevolent club members.

“His club guys are always coming to the hospital to check on him and pay the bills.” She added.

Ebiede was one of the few bright spots of coach Fanny Amun’s Flying Eagles at the African championship on home soil in 1995.

He had two caps for the Super Eagles, making his debut under Serbian Bora Milutinovic in the 1-0 win over Iran in a pre-1998 World Cup friendly against Iran on January 28, 1998.

In 1997, he moved to SC Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie, before further spells in the United Arab Emirates (1999-2004) and Israel (2006-2008).

He then returned home to feature for Bayelsa United and Sharks. He retired in 2011.

Football

Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal offer Lionel Messi €400m Per Year Deal

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Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, have proposed an offer worth in excess of €400 million per year to sign Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentina star, Lionel Messi.

According to Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Al Hilal, which also has former Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo on its ranks, are the latest club to join the race to sign Messi on a free transfer, with his contract at PSG set to expire in the summer.

According to reports, Messi’s priority is to continue his career in Europe, but despite having received an offer from the Ligue 1 champions he is yet to accept their new terms.

“Understand Al Hilal sent an official bid to Leo Messi: salary worth more than €400m/year,” Romano wrote on Twitter.

“Leo’s absolute priority: continue in Europe.”

He stated that Barcelona are waiting on the Financial Fair Play (FFP) case before sending a bid and opening talks to being back the legendary player.

Also, according to ESPN sources, Messi is looking unlikely to remain in Paris, with the 35-year-old not willing to take a salary reduction.

The report adds that he is prepared to wait to see what proposals come his way at the end of this season before making a decision.

Football

Chelsea sack Potter, appoint interim coach

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Chelsea FC has announced that Graham Potter has departed the club. Graham has agreed to collaborate with the Club to facilitate a smooth transition. In his time with the club, Graham has taken us to the quarter final of the Champions League, where we will face Real Madrid. Chelsea would like to thank Graham for all his efforts and contribution and wish him well for the future.

Bruno Saltor will take charge of the team as Interim Head Coach.Co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said:

‘On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea. We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome.

‘Along with our incredible fans, we will all be getting behind Bruno and the team as we focus on the rest of the season. We have 10 Premier League games remaining and a Champions League quarter final ahead. We will put every effort and commitment into every one of those games so that we can end the season on a high.’

Football

Barcelona confirm talks to re-sign Lionel Messi from Paris Saint Germain

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FC Barcelona vice president Rafa Yuste has confirmed that the club has contacted Lionel Messi about a possible return to the club this summer. The Argentine superstar famously left Barca in tears in 2021.

He then joined Paris Saint Germain as a free agent and signed a two-year contract which expires on June 30.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s deal at the Parc des Princes came with the option of an additional year that Messi has thus far been reluctant to take up.

Mundo Deportivo has reported on Friday that PSG are willing to offer Messi “more money and more years” than just the additional “plus one”.

On Thursday, French sports outlet L’Equipe reported that Messi currently takes home €3.375 million ($3.7 million) a month from the Ligue 1 giants, which puts him third behind teammates Neymar in second and leader Kylian Mbappe.

Speaking earlier today in Spain, Yustewhile holding a press conference, confirmed his club’s interest in re-signing Messi.

“Leo [Messi] and his family know the affection I have for them. I participated in the negotiations that unfortunately did not lead to a successful conclusion,” Yuste began, reminiscing about the Argentine’s exit.

“I have the thorn in my side that Leo could not continue in our club. If we are talking about La Masia and grassroots football, we are talking about Messi.

“Of course I would love for him to come back, for what it could represent at a sporting, social and economic level. We are in contact with them, yes,” Yuste confirmed.

Football

Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi laments bad Nigerian football pitches

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Super Eagles and Everton midfielder, Alex Iwobi has lamented about the bad pitches the Super Eagles play on during home games, saying it has negatively affected the team.

Recall the Nigeria squad failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and, they were also beaten by Guinea-Bissau at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja last Friday in one of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

They later claimed an away victory in the return leg which was played days later in Guinea-Bissau.

Alex Iwobi, 26, has now blamed poor pitches for the team’s poor performances on home soil.

“We don’t know if we are going to have a nice pitch to play,” he said in an interview with The Beautiful Game podcast.

“Obviously, we got a new coach and we played Sierra Leone and we beat them 2-1 in a very difficult game, then we played Sao Tome and Principe and beat them 10-0 because we played on a great pitch.

A lot of us play in Europe now and we play on great pitches where it is easy to manipulate the ball around and play freely. If we had that in Nigeria it will be difficult to beat us and I am confident to say that not many teams can beat us.

“To start with, we don’t have a good pitch because if we have that I feel like we will be unstoppable. That is one thing about Nigeria and I don’t know what’s going on behind but we could play in Asaba, we could play in Lagos or Abuja.

We understand that everyone wants to see the Eagles play and Nigeria is a very big nation but at the same time, it will just be nice to have just one base where we know how it is going to be, the hotel we are going to stay and the food we eat. It just makes everything easier.”

The Everton midfielder added that they were still a young side and needed to learn. “Our team is still young and we still have a lot to learn and even as a team we are still learning about ourselves,” he added.

“One thing I can promise Nigerian fans is that as much as the talent is still there only God knows where we will be in the next few years and they just need to be patient with us because we are trying.”

Football

Nigeria fail to qualify for U23 AFCON, lose 0-2 to Guinea

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Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles on Tuesday failed to qualify for the 2023 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations after losing 0-2 to Guinea in the second leg of their fixture in Rabat, Morocco.

The 0-2 loss in the final qualifying fixture made it a 0-2 aggregate loss after a 0-0 draw in Abuja on Wednesday.

Both teams fought hard on the turf of Prince Moulay Al Hassan for one hour before Guinea took the lead and added a second goal 15 minutes later.

Nigeria emerged as champions of the Africa Under-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal in 2015 and reached the finals in Egypt four years ago.

Football

AFCON Qualifiers: Super Eagles secure revenge, defeat Guinea-Bissau

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Barely 72 hours after the shocking one-nil defeat to Wild Dogs of Guinea-Bissau in the first-leg of the Group A 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers tie, Nigeria’s Super Eagles responded with a 1-0 win in the return leg at Bissau on Monday evening.

With an unwanted four-game winless run, Super Eagles needed a quick turnaround to appease football-loving Nigerians who are gradually running out of patience with the Jose Peseiro-led team.

Super Eagles kicked off Monday’s encounter with much dominance with the ball but it was the home team that had the first attempt at goal inside the first five minutes, with Moreto Cassama firing the ball wide.

Terem Moffi was provided with a clear opportunity to score with the net almost empty but the OGC Nice forward’s effort went wide off the post due to the rough terrain of the pitch before Moses Simon finally broke the deadlock for Nigeria with a penalty in the 30th minute.

Fenerbahce defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel, was brought down inside the 18-yard box, and the centre referee immediately gave a penalty which the Nantes forward, Simon, slotted in by sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

In the 58th minute, Osimhen was denied by the lower post after the Napoli striker’s ball slowly went past goalkeeper Jonas Mendes and struck the bar out to safety. Had the ball gone in, it would have been Osimhen’s sixth goal of the qualifiers.

Osimhen was again denied an opportunity for another goal but this time around, it was goalkeeper Mendes who saved the forward’s attempt from close range before he pulled off another save to deny Joe Aribo two minutes later.

The game ended without another goal as Super Eagles got a sweet revenge which sent Nigeria back to the top of the Group A standings with nine points, while Guinea-Bissau are second with seven points.

Football

Chelsea announce £121m loss

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Chelsea has announced a net loss of £121.3m, which it linked to sanctions imposed on former owner Roman Abramovich by the UK government last spring.

In a statement released by new owners of the club, it was stated that the sanctions could lead to a negative financial impact for years to come because it prevented them from “entering into new contractual arrangements.”

The London-based club sold to a consortium led by new chairman Todd Boehly in late May of 2022, were unable to sell tickets or merchandise after Abramovich was sanctioned in early March.

Though Chelsea saw an overall turnover increase of £481.3m from £434.9m the previous year on account of increased matchday revenue following the return of supporters post-pandemic.In spite of the sanctions, Chelsea still saw overall turnover increase to £481.3m from £434.9m the previous year on account of increased matchday revenue following the return of supporters post-pandemic.

Commercial revenue also grew to £177.1m with the club saying it “benefited from a net increase in sponsorship revenue from new contracts and existing partner renewals.”

They invested £118m in the playing squad during 2021/22 and made a profit on player trading – with the sales of Tammy Abraham to AS Roma, Marc Guehi to Crystal Palace, Fikayo Tomori to AC Milan, and Kurt Zouma to West Ham adding up to £123.2m.

A statement released by Chelsea alongside a publication of the accounts read;

“The club was required to operate within the limitations of a special licence issued by the UK government. These restrictions were in place until the completion of the club’s sale on 30 May 2022.

“During this period, the club was restricted in a number of areas including, but not limited to, its ability to sell matchday and season tickets, sell merchandise, accept event bookings, as well as sign contracts with players and commercial sponsorship partners, which collectively resulted in extraordinary expenses and loss of revenue.

“Furthermore, some of these limitations are also expected to have an impact on the financials in the following years due to the long-term impact from restrictions on entering into new contractual arrangements.”

Football

Morocco beat Brazil 2-1 in international friendly

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Morocco continued with their brilliant performance that saw them reach the World Cup semi-finals in December 2022, beating Brazil 2-1 in a friendly game at Grand Stade de Tanger Stadium on Saturday.

Being both team’s first game after the World Cup, the Atlas Lions delivered a brilliant performance before their home fans, while the Sambo boys suffered another defeat after their humiliating exit from the World Cup.

Brazilians had a couple of clear chances early in the first half but could not convert any of them. Sofiane Boufal gave Morocco the lead 29 minutes into the game, when he made a brilliant turn in the penalty box before firing into the left corner, leaving Brazil one goal down into the first half break.

Brazil returned to the second half playing better and harder to control the game. But Morocco’s defence line proved impenetrable for the Samba Boys.

After much effort, Manchester United star Casemiro levelled for Samba Boys in the 67th minute with a curl from outside the eighteen yard box.

But again Morocco will not allow the game end in a draw.Abedelhamid Sabiri made it two for the Moroccans in the 79th minute, roofing a shot into Brazil’s net.

With Saturday’s win against five-time World Cup winner Brazil, the Moroccans made another statement that their World Cup performance last year was not a fluke.

Football

Osimhen arrives Super Eagles camp ahead Guinea Bissau match

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Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has arrived at the team’s camp in Abuja ahead of Friday’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against the Djurtus (Wild Dogs) of Guinea Bissau.

The match will be played at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.Eagles spokesman Babafemi Raji revealed that Osimhen, who had a flight delay in Lagos, joined the team in Abuja after Tuesday’s evening training.

Raji said the arrival of Osimhen brought the number of players in camp to 22. Portugal-based defender Zaidu Sanusi is the only player expected and will join the team on Wednesday.

The Eagles have six points from two matches as they confront Guinea Bissau in a top-of-the-table fixture. They are favoured to qualify for the competition slated for Cote d’Ivoire early next year.

Meanwhile, tickets for the encounter have been calibrated in price ranges of N2,000 and N10,000 for ordinary and VIP seats, respectively.

Ademola Olajire, communication director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), said the tickets are available at the football secretariat at the Package B of Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

Olajire said tickets are also available at the Old Parade Ground, NFF’s former office at Wuse Zone 7 and other designated places, which details will be announced on broadcast stations nationwide.

Egyptian referee Mahmoud Elbana will be in the centre, with his compatriots Youssef Elbosaty, Sami Halhal and Ahmed El-Ghandour as first assistant referee, second assistant referee and fourth official, respectively.

Prosper Harrison Addo from Ghana will be the match commissioner, and his compatriot Kotey Alexander will be the referee assessor.

Football

Emmanuel Adebayor retires from football aged 39

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Togolese footballer, Emmanuel Adebayor has called time on his professional football career. Adebayor spent over a decade in England playing for Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and Crystal Palace but has now called time on his career.

The forward won the African Footballer of the Year award in 2008 during his time at Arsenal.He was also named Togo’s Footballer of the Year for five consecutive years between 2005 and 2009.

Adebayor spent most of his peak years in England, but also enjoyed spells in France with Metz and Monaco at the start of his career, and had a brief stint at Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2011.

After moving back to England following his time in Madrid, Adebayor had three years at Tottenham and six months at Palace before moving to Turkey to join Istanbul Basaksehir at the start of 2017.

He would go on to play for fellow Turkish outfit Kayserispor, prior to trying his luck in Paraguay with Olimpia.

He finished his career back in his homeland at Semassi, and is now walking away from the sport after over two decades as a professional.

Football, Lifestyle

Singer Seyi Vibez loses mother

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Popular Nigerian singer, Balogun Afolabi, popularly known as Seyi Vibez, announced the death of his mother late Thursday.

Seyi Vibez who is currently making a wave in the industry with his Afro-pop shared the news of her death with a blank picture on his Instagram page.

He wrote, “Today the Darkest day of my life 💔💔💔 March 16 I lost my ancestor ! 🕊️Love you till I go six feet mum ❗️RIP.”

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