Headlines
Super Falcons Trash Equatorial Guinea 9-0 to Win Antalya Tourney
Barcelona forward, Asisat Oshoala, scored four goals as the Super Falcons thrashed Equatorial Guinea 9-0 to emerge champions of the Festival Women’s Cup 2021 Antalya on Tuesday.
The competition had the Falcons, Equatorial Guinea, Uzbekistan and CSKA Moscow Ladies in attendance.
Falcons finished as champions with maximum nine points from three matches, scoring 11 goals and conceding none.
Glory Ogbonna opened the scoring for the nine-time African champions in the ninth minute, before captain Oshoala scored two goals from the spot in the 12th and 13th minutes, and then added a third in the 26th minute.
Uchenna Kalu made it 5-0 in the 36th minute, while Eibar forward Charity Adule scored the sixth goal with a fine header three minutes later.
The hardworking Toni Payne’s 43rd minute thunderous strike, after shielding off two of her opponents, ensured that the Falcons took a seven-goal advantage into the half time break.
Falcons coach Randy Waldrum brought on Gift Monday, Ramat Abdulkareem, Esther Sunday and Maryam Ibrahim for Chiwendu Ihezuo, Chidinma Okeke, Payne and Kalu respectively, ensuring all the 23 players for the tournament had a taste of action.
The Nigerians, however, took their foot off the pedal in the second half, but still scored two goals to confine Equatorial Guinea, two-time African champions to a humiliating defeat.
Substitute Gift, who plays for Robo FC in the domestic league, scored the eight goal in the 69th minute, before Oshoala grabbed her fourth of the game in the 85th minute to cap an emphatic win for the African champions.
Two minutes later Equatoguinean defender Gina was given the marching orders after a harsh tackle on the rampaging Ramat Abdulkareem on the left flank.
With the result, the Falcons became the first African team to win the tournament, following three straight wins.
Waldrum’s side defeated CSKA Moscow Ladies 1-0 in their opening game of the tournament before beating Uzbekistan by the same margin in their second encounter.
Oshoala attributed the performance to the hard work of the players.
“As a team I’m really happy and also with the attitude the girls put up in the tournament because we came all out to make sure we had fun.
“Also, we worked very hard. We just want to make sure that we give our best and keep getting good results and goals as much as we can,” Oshoala told NFF Media.
Uzbekistan and CSKA Moscow will play the final game of the group later today to determine who finishes runners-up to the Falcons.
Uzbekistan and CSKA both have three points but the Uzbeks are have a superior goal difference of +4.
Equatorial finished the competition without a point, after losing all three matches.
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.
