Headlines
All for England: Spurs Battle Liverpool for UEFA CL Title
A season that has been characterised by sensational comebacks, goals, and drama will come down to an all-English battle on Saturday.
With the majestic Estadio Wanda Metropolitano as the setting, Liverpool FC will attempt to subdue Tottenham Hotspur and claim their 6th UEFA Champions League title.
This will be the first final in history to feature two sides that have failed to win their league titles for a while: 30 years for Liverpool and 58 for Spurs.
This is a statistic that will worry neither managers nor players at both clubs as they look to be fully focused on winning Europe’s biggest honour.
Liverpool’s journey to the final
Both finalists have faced more than their share of adversity in the UCL this season. Both teams, led by their very charismatic managers Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino, have weathered the storms and are in the showpiece final purely on merit.
Liverpool were placed in possibly the most difficult group during the group stages. They faced PSG, Napoli and Crvena Zvezda and had to win all their home games to qualify in second place behind the French champions.
In the round of 16, they were paired with fellow 5-time winners, Bayern Munich. The first leg at Anfield had ended in a stodgy 0-0 draw. However, led by the irresistible Sadio Mane, they triumphed 3-1 at the Allianz Arena.
It was a straight-forward blowout in the quarter finals against FC Porto. Both games yielded victories for the Reds with 6 goals scored and 1 conceded.
The semi-final against FC Barcelona was one for the ages. The Reds had been the better team in the first leg at the Camp Nou, but lost 3-0 thanks to magic from Lionel Messi.
However, calling on their glorious history and backed by a vociferous Anfield crowd, the Reds overcame the odds to beat the Blaugrana 4-0, with doubles from Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum.
Spurs and the road to Madrid
Nobody, not even the most ardent Spurs fans, could have predicted that the team would have the chance to compete for the UCL title.
Across Europe’s major five leagues, the Lilywhites were the only team who did not sign any players across the two transfer windows.
They were put in a very difficult group alongside FC Barcelona, Inter Milan and PSV Eindhoven, and started on a very bad note, with just 1 point in their first three matches. These included two losses to Inter Milan and FC Barcelona.
The team responded with verve and garnered 7 points in the last 3 games to finish second behind Barca. They thrashed Borussia Dortmund 4-0 over the two legs in the round of 16.
After a 1-0 win over Manchester City in the quarterfinal first leg, Spurs came very close to going out in the second leg before a last-minute VAR call rescued them in a 4-3 loss. This ensured they qualified for the finals on the away goals rule.
In the semi-finals, they were 3-0 down in the second half of the second leg, before a Lucas Moura hat-trick rescued the tie against Ajax AFC.
This was achieved despite the move to a brand-new stadium and lots of injuries to key players like Harry Kane.
What to expect in the final
Both teams have been on holiday following the end of the Premier League. Liverpool will have been disheartened by the fact that despite their best efforts, Manchester City were able to successfully defend their league title.
Klopp and his team will want to use the UCL title as a consolation, and to banish the memories of last year’s final which they lost to Real Madrid 3-1.
The Reds have a full squad to pick from, with Roberto Firmino confirmed fit amongst others.
The situation at Spurs is markedly different, with the quartet of Kane, Jan Vertonghen, Harry Winks and Davinson Sanchez back in training.
Both games between the two sides in the Premier League ended in 2-1 wins for Liverpool. They will go into the game as favourites.
However, Spurs have not come this far to just wilt at the end. Pochettino’s men have displayed grit and determination in the face of so many injuries and a lack of spending.
It is expected to be a feast of football, and may the best team win.
Headlines
Abiola Cannot Be Recognised As Former President; He Was Never Sworn-in – Gen Ishola Williams
By Eric Elezuo
One of the prime actors of the June 12, 1993 incidents, General Ishola Williams, has said that much as Chief MKO Abiola wrong was created having won the election, and denied victory, he cannot be recognized as a former President of Nigeria.
Gen Williams made his revelation while speaking as a guest on Channels television socio-political programme, Inside Source.
He maintained that only those who were sworn in that recognised as former presidents, and Abiola was never sworn in.
“Abiola cannot be recognised as former president because he was never sworn in.
The General, who said that he resigned from the army as a result of the wholesome reception given to General Sani Abacha, when he overthrew Chief Ernest Shonekan-led Interim National Government, contrary to expectation, also picked flaws in the narratives given by former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, in his recently launched book, A Journey In Service.
Williams rose in the army to become the Commandant of Army Signals, Commander of Training and Doctrine (TRADOC) and Chief of Defence Training and Planning, from where he resigned.
Headlines
Breaking: Supreme Court Recognises Martin Amaewhule As Rivers Assembly Speaker, Orders CBN to Stop Releasing Funds to State
By Eric Elezuo
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has in its ruling on Friday recognised Hon Martins Amaewhule as the authentic speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, mandating him to urgently resume sitting with elected members of the assembly.
The apex court also ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to stop releasing to the Rivers State government until a proper assembly is constituted.
Details soon…
Tension escalated at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday as impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa made a dramatic return to reclaim his position.
Accompanied by heavily armed men, Obasa stormed the Assembly complex in a bold move that has thrown the State’s legislature into turmoil.
In a stunning turn of events, security details assigned to the substantive Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda, were abruptly withdrawn on Thursday morning, clearing the path for Obasa’s controversial comeback.
Sources revealed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) ordered the withdrawal of all security operatives attached to Meranda, leaving her exposed in the midst of an intensifying power struggle.
The Speaker’s Special Adviser on Information, Mr. Victor Ganzallo, expressed concern over the security vacuum created by the withdrawal of personnel.
“In the early hours of Thursday, we woke up to the startling news that all security details assigned to Madam Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, had been withdrawn.
This includes the police and DSS officers, leaving her exposed to threats amid the ongoing speakership crisis,” Ganzallo stated.
He further called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as the State’s Chief Security Officer, to intervene urgently to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order within the Assembly.
“The withdrawal of security personnel has left the Assembly naked and vulnerable at a critical time. Urgent action is needed to restore order,” he pleaded.
With the speakership battle taking a dramatic new turn, political watchers are keenly observing how the crisis will unfold in the coming days.
