Onuachu bags 2021 best footballer award in Belgium

Super Eagles forward, Paul Onuachu has been voted winner of the 2021 Belgian Golden Shoe award.

The 27-year-old becomes the first-ever Nigerian and the fourth African to claim the prestigious honour in Belgium.

Aruna Dindane of Cote d’Ivoire, won it in 2003, Morocco’s Mbark Boussoufa, who won in 2006 and 2010 and DR Congo’s Dieumerci Mbokani, who won in 2012, are the only other Africans to have won the award.

The Belgian Golden Shoe award is given at the beginning of each year to the best footballer in the country’s First Division for the past year.

Onuachu polled 333 votes to beat the Club Brugge duo of Noa Lang (272 votes) and Charles De Ketelaere (271 votes) to second and third, respectively.

He finished in third position in the 2020 award edition, coming behind winner Lior Refaelov of Israel and second-placed Raphael Holzhauser.

But emerged winner this time around after scoring 29 league goals over the entire 2020-21 season and adding another 12 in the first half of the current campaign.

With the win, Onuachu becomes only the third Genk player in history to be named Belgium’s best and the first in 20 years.

The forward could not join his national teammates at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after sustaining a hamstring injury weeka before the Cameroon tournament.

Former Nigeria Airways A310 Burns Down In Belgium

In a shocking incident, a former Nigeria Airways A310 has burned down in Gilly, Belgium. The aircraft has been parked in the city since 1999 after it was impounded in Brussels for unpaid fees. The plane was later converted and served in several non-flying roles, including as a restaurant, bar, and more.

Sudden fire

According to a report from Aviation24, the aircraft burned down on Tuesday. The fire started in the evening and quickly became violent, causing the tail of the aircraft to collapse. Firefighters and emergency services quickly reached the site to contain the fire and no one was injured. However, the aircraft itself seems to be burnt beyond salvaging.

A video of the incident was later posted on Twitter, showing the extent of the fire and emergency services near the site. The plane was not in commercial use at this time.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1328804474379440138

The aircraft was most recently owned by a French company which purchased it last year. The company planned to dismantle the aircraft by 2020 but delays pushed the project to January 2021. It’s unclear what the company will do now that the plane has suffered significant damage.

Why was the plane there?

It might seem strange why a Nigeria Airways A310 is stored in a small town in Belgium. The aircraft actually has a long and fascinating history. Originally registered 5N-AUG, the aircraft was delivered to Nigeria Airways in 1984, flying long-haul services. The plane was impounded in the 1990s in Brussels after the airline refused to pay maintenance costs, according to Independent.

the plane served as restaurant and bar for many years

After a court battle, the maintenance company received ownership of the plane, which it sold to a company in Gilly. The plane was then converted for non-flying use (removing the engines and propping it up) in 1999.

Since its conversion, the plane has served as a popular cafe, Italian restaurant, bar, and discotheque. At one time, the plane’s belly served as a cocktail bar for 220 guests, while the wings were a makeshift terrace.

After 20 years, the aircraft was once again put on sale in 2019 for €100,000 ($118,800), with double the cost to dismantle and transport the aircraft. As mentioned earlier, a French company did end up purchasing the aircraft and planned to dismantle it. Considering the sad events of this week, it seems unlikely we will see this plane in use again.

Converted planes

While the A310 in Gilly won’t be in use any longer, the trend of converted planes has become quite popular in the last few years. Retired aircraft have found themselves serving as waterparks, hotels, and restaurants all over the world.

Most recently, British Airways opted to preserve one of its 747s as a film set. From the famous 747 Jumbo Stay hotel in Stokhomn to Wings and Waves Waterpark in Oregon, retired aircraft have found interesting second lives! 

Retired planes have recently found interesting second lives as hotels, restaurants, and even waterparks!

Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne hits out at crowded calendar

Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne hit out at football’s crowded calendar on Saturday on the eve of their Nations League match against England, the second of three national-team games inside a week.

Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne has criticised football’s busy schedule post-lockdown, as he prepares to face England with Belgium.

“I’ve been playing without a break for two years now. But nobody listens to the players,” De Bruyne, who will captain the team against England at Wembley, told a news conference.

The match follows Belgium’s 1-1 friendly draw with the Ivory Coast on Thursday and will be followed by another Nations League trip to Iceland on Wednesday, before De Bruyne returns to play for his club Manchester City in the Premier League next weekend.

“Sometimes I worry. Especially when I look at my personal situation. I’ve had eight, nine days off this summer,” De Bruyne said.

“I couldn’t go on holiday because my wife was pregnant at the time, so basically I’ve not had a holiday and if the season goes on, it means I will have played for two years without a break.

“It takes a toll, especially mentally. I think, like everybody, you need a break just to switch off like everybody and your body needs to heal…

“I know everyone says ‘you earn a lot of money, you should handle it’. That’s the way it goes. I take it on the chin but I can see a lot of injuries coming,” he added.

De Bruyne also said he wanted to discuss a possible contract extension with Manchester City as soon as possible.

“I am happy in Manchester. I am open to conversations, but so far I haven’t spoken to City myself,” he told reporters.

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