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Super Eagles Storm Singapore for Clash against Brazil
Twenty one Super Eagles players have arrived in Singapore ahead of Sunday’s friendly with Brazil at the Singapore National Stadium.
Stoke City’s midfielder, Oghenekaro Etebo, pulled out of the friendly on Thursday, after Torino left-back Ola Aina, who was excluded after a domestic injury on Wednesday.
21 other players trained on Thursday, a statement from the NFF said.
The statement read in part, “Three-time African champions Nigeria have full capacity in Singapore as they began training sessions on Thursday ahead of Sunday’s prestige friendly with five –time world champions Brazil.
“Stoke City of England’s Oghenekaro Etebo is a late withdrawal from the roster, but all the other 21 players trained on Thursday morning and will train twice on Friday.
“The official training session will take place on Saturday, with the match scheduled to kick off at 1pm Nigeria time on Sunday.
“Coach Gernot Rohr has opted not to call any more players following the withdrawal of Etebo, and Wednesday’s withdrawal of defender Olaoluwa Aina as a result of injury.”
The Franco-German already replaced defender Kenneth Omeruo with Tyronne Ebuehi, while Efosa Solomon-Otabor joined the camp following France-based Samuel Kalu’s unavailability.
Solomon-Otabor and forward Peter Olayinka are coming into the Nigeria senior camp for the first time ever while Ebuehi returns for the first time since the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.
Former junior international Ramon Azeez also makes a return, and defenders Abdullahi Shehu and Chidozie Awaziem, as well as midfielder Wilfred Ndidi are back after missing the 2-2 draw with Ukraine in Dnipro last month.
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.”
