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Ighalo Makes AFCON Best XI, Wins Golden Boot Award
Super Eagles striker, Odion Ighalo, has emerged as top scorer at the just concluded 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ighalo with five goals to his name finished ahead of big guns like Riyad Mahrez and Sadio Mane who both finished on three goals respectively for Algeria and Senegal.
The Nigerian was also the top scorer during the qualifying series for AFCON 2019. Then, Ighalo scored seven goals as the Super Eagles secured qualification for the continent’s biggest football event after missing out on back-to-back editions.
Aside from winning the Golden Boot usually given to top scorers in tournaments of this magnitude, Ighalo was also included in the team of the tournament (BEST XI).
Only players from four out of the 24 teams that took part in AFCON 2019 made it to the BEST XI.
Senegal had the most representation with five of their players making the cut. Algeria got four while Nigeria and Tunisia had a player each in the crack squad which has Algeria tactician, Djamel Belmadi, as the coach.
Besides winning the trophy for the second time in their history, champions Algeria also dominated in the individual awards category as the Total Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2019reached its climax.
Midfielder Ismael Bennacer was adjudged the Total Man of the Competition, the prize for the most valuable player of the tournament.
The 21-year old had a big say as ‘Les Fennecs’ cruised to the title, their first since 1990.
Goalkeeper Rais M’Bolhi won a double on the final day. He was decorated as the continent’s best goalkeeper, the award for the best shot-stopper of the competition. He also picked up the Total Man of the Match award of the final match.
Senegal took consolation in midfielder Krepin Diatta, who was named Best Young Player of the tournament. The team also won the Fair Play award.
Below are the awards:
Total Man of the Competition: Ismael Bennacer (Algeria)
Continental best goalkeeper: Rais M’Bolhi (Algeria)
Top scorer: Odion Jude Ighalo (Nigeria) – 5 goals
Best Young Player: Krepin Diatta (Senegal)
Fair Play: Senegal
Best XI
Goalkeeper: Rais M’Bolhi (Algeria)
Defenders: Lamine Gassama (Senegal), Yassine Meriah (Tunisia), Youssouf Sabaly (Senegal), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal),
Midfielders: Adlene Guediora (Algeria), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Senegal), Ismael Bennacer (Algeria)
Forwards: Riyad Mahrez (Algeria), Sadio Mane (Senegal), Odion Jude Ighalo (Nigeria)
Coach: Djamel Belmadi (Algeria)
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.”
