Headlines
Ghanaians React As Eguavoen is Spotted in England ‘Spying on Partey’
Ghanaian fans have reacted ahead of the Black Stars Qatar 2022 World Cup play-offs against Nigeria, after Super Eagles interim coach, Austin Eguavoen, was spotted at the Emirates Stadium in England last Saturday watching the Arsenal versus Brentford Premier League clash.
Eguavoen and his assistants have been on a tour of England, where they have met with several Eagles stars in the country, as well as having contacts with potential targets like Crystal Palace duo Micheal Olise and Eberechi Eze.
During the visit, the coach was pictured watching a game at the Emirates with some Ghanaian fans believing he went there to spy on their star midfielder, Thomas Partey, who put up a class performance in the 2-1 win for the Gunners.
With the picture of Eguavoen at the Emirates circulating the media space, Ghanaians are scared that he has gone to tactically spy on their midfield man, Partey.
Reacting to the picture posted by Ghanasoccernet on Twitter @Akansie_123 wrote, “Really, now it’s clear they mean business!! They are scouting our players and not leaving anything to chance.”
@bobodealaso1 “Nigeria are out there working and scouting our best players while Ghana is trying to figure out who will coach the team.”
@smallGhod joked, “Why are they dressed like the secret service while scouting Partey. They mean business.”
Eguavoen did not only go to watch Partey, he was also there to assess Brentford’s Frank Onyeka, but the midfielder was an unused substitute.
Ghana underperformed at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, failing to win a single group game before crashing out of the competition, while Nigeria impressed in their group stage but shockingly lost 1-0 to Tunisia to crash out in the last 16.
The Nigeria Football Federation has tasked Eguavoen to continue with the team till at least the World Cup play-offs in March, with former Tanzania coach Emmanuel Amuneke joining the backroom staff.
The Punch
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
