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EURO 2020: Italy Crowned European Champions
If there is anything the English football fans had wish as an all time gift, it would have been the Three Lions victory at the final of the EURO 2020 game against the Azurris of Italy.
But that was not to be as Italy came from a goal to practically snatch the trophy from the English.
After the second minute goal from Shaw, bookmakers were so sure the trophy was coming home. However, a second half equiliser from Bonnocci was all the Italians needed to restamp their influence in the game.
After 120 minutes of sweat between the two teams, penalty kicks were used to decide the winner. England lost three of its kicks to lose the hard won final game.
Earlier before the match, England captain Harry Kane said the final will go down to the wire because the teams are so evenly matched.
England and Italy headed into the Wembley showdown as the tournament’s two stand-out sides.
Four-time world champions Italy, who last won the Euro in 1968, made a flying start as they tore through their group before battling past Austria, Belgium and Spain to reach the final.
England initially found it harder to hit top gear as they scored just twice while winning their group, but Gareth Southgate’s men were dominant in knockout stage victories against Germany, Ukraine and Denmark.
Kane believes either team would be fitting champions, but he is confident England have enough quality to win the European Championship for the first time.
“It’s a real 50-50 game I think. Of course Italy have a better history than us in terms of winning tournaments, but a lot of us in our team now have had experience at club level of playing in the biggest games, the biggest finals,” Kane told reporters on Friday.
“It’s a real tough game. From our point of view we have full belief in what we have been doing and how we have been setting up, and of course we believe we can win the game.
“But we also know it will be very tough. They’ve got some great players, some great experience.
“In any final, in any big game, you have to be on it on all aspects. We know that’s the case on Sunday and hopefully we can swing it in our favour.”
Asked if he had allowed himself to imagine lifting the trophy at Wembley in front of 60,000 England fans, Kane said: “For sure, as players you think of that moment, you dream of that moment.
“Obviously we’re all grounded enough to know we have a very tough game on our hands on Sunday. But there’s a good belief in this team.
“You play football to win, you dream of these moments as a kid, lifting trophies for your country and we have that opportunity now.
“A great prospect for us, we just have to enjoy the moment, take it all in, but of course perform, and we want to be on the winning side come Sunday.”
If England win their first major silverware since the 1966 World Cup, Kane can be mentioned in the same breath as Three Lions icon Bobby Moore, who lifted the trophy 55 years ago.
“Whenever your name is mentioned in the same company as players like that, it only gives you motivation, gives you confidence,” Kane said.
“Of course, it would be an incredible achievement. We’ve all waited so long as players, as public, as people to see us in a final.
“So these are the opportunities you have to grab with both hands. We have an amazing chance to win our second major trophy as a country. We’ve got to be excited for it.”
AFP
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for an independent, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into the academic and professional credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), beginning with President Bola Tinubu himself.
Atiku’s call comes in the wake of the recent resignation of the former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over an alleged certificate scandal.
Following the controversy surrounding the authenticity of his academic qualifications, Nnaji tendered his resignation on Tuesday. He, however, maintains that his resignation is not an admission of guilt.
Reacting to the development in a post on his X handle on Wednesday, Atiku said the resignation of the former minister has “once again brought to light the deep moral crisis at the heart of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.”
The former Vice President also questioned Tinubu’s own credentials, alleging that they have been the subject of controversy for decades. He, therefore, called for a thorough investigation into the credentials of all FEC members, starting with the President.
“This episode is not isolated. It is a reflection of a pattern — a rot that begins from the very top. The man who occupies the office of President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has for decades been enmeshed in controversies surrounding his identity, age, and academic records.
“From the Chicago State University saga to multiple contradictory claims under oath, the world has seen ample evidence that Nigeria today is led by a man who himself has been unable to credibly defend the authenticity of his own certificates.
“When a man of questionable identity leads a country, deception becomes the standard of governance. Tinubu’s personal history of alleged forgery and perjury has effectively institutionalized falsehood in public service.
“It is, therefore, unsurprising that his ministers and aides have taken after his example — falsifying documents, inflating records, and desecrating the moral foundation of our nation.
“I, therefore, call for an independent, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into the academic and professional credentials of all members of the Federal Executive Council, beginning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself. Nigerians deserve to know the truth about those who preside over their lives and resources.
“Tuesday’s resignation of Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has once again brought to light the deep moral crisis at the heart of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
“What should ordinarily be a matter of national shame is now being disguised as a ‘voluntary resignation’ — an attempt to whitewash yet another scandal that typifies the forgery-ridden character of this government,” Atiku said.
He condemned President Tinubu’s decision to allow Nnaji an honourable resignation rather than a dismissal.
“Let the truth be told: Uche Nnaji should not have been allowed the courtesy of resignation. He should have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deceit and falsification.
“By permitting him to quietly exit through the back door, the Tinubu administration has once again demonstrated that it is an assembly of forgers, impostors, and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public servants.”
Atiku also berated the Department of State Services (DSS), questioning how Nnaji’s alleged certificate scandal escaped detection during the screening process prior to his appointment.
“What makes this even more embarrassing is that the same Department of State Services (DSS), which screened out Mallam Nasir El-Rufai for alleged ‘security concerns’, is the very agency that cleared this same character, Uche Nnaji.
“The DSS truly deserves our flowers for this national disgrace. Their failure of due diligence has made Nigeria an object of ridicule before the world and raises the question: how many more such individuals are occupying sensitive positions in this government?”
President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, accepted Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s departure as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the expiration of his second term in office.
Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the commission for an initial term of five years.
The appointment, which was renewed in 2020, has now expired due to the passage of time.
President Tinubu thanked Professor Yakubu for his services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure.
In recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation, President Tinubu has bestowed on him the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
President Tinubu also directed that Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the Commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor.
In the letter dated October 3, 2025, Professor Yakubu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve the nation as chairman of the commission since 2015.
The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has resigned his position following allegations of certificate forgery levelled against him.
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the resignation in a statement on Tuesday, saying the President has accepted the Minister’s decision to step down.
He added that “President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023. He resigned today in a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria.”
Onanuga further quoted the former Minister as saying he had “been a target of blackmail by political opponents.”
“President Tinubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavours,” the statement added.
