Headlines
These Flying Eagles Can’t Fly at All, Nigerians Knock U-20 Team
Football-loving Nigerians have slammed the Flying Eagles following their lethargic display against The Gambia in Monday’s U-20 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final clash at the Cairo Stadium, Egypt, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Adama Bojang scored the winner for the Junior Scorpions after seven minutes after he raced onto a defence-splitting pass from Ebrima Singhateh.
Despite trailing by the early goal, Ladan Bosso’s team dominated possession but lacked the brilliance in midfield to create chances and score.
Forwards Ibrahim Muhammad, Samson Lawal, Haliru Sarki and Francis Abubakar all failed to get their strikes on target, while substitute and Belgium-based forward Ahmed Abdullahi, who won a penalty in the dying minutes of the game, watched agonisingly as his spot kick hit the left post and rebound into play in the 85th minute.
Gambia’s goalkeeper Ebou Dampha, who was adjudged the man of the match for his brilliant display in goal for the Junior Scorpions, is yet to concede a goal in the tournament after five games.
The Flying Eagles recorded 21 shots in the encounter four on target while Gambia had three shots and scored from one of the two shots they had on target.
Fans back home were left furious by the team’s performance and took to social media to unleash their anger. While some feel the team won’t go far at the U-20 World Cup in Indonesia billed to kick off from May 20 to June 11, others are of the opinion that the team should be disbanded.
Eddie Ekpo wrote on Twitter, “These Flying Eagles squad should be disbanded and that includes the coaching crew. Terrible squad all round. Are there no coaches in the Nigerian Professional Football League that can handle this squad? Must it be Ladan Bosso crowding the squad with northerners?
Jumoke Josh-Falade @FaladeJumi added, “This flying eagles team should be disbanded! No tactics, useless long balls and an outdated coach!”
Jamiyu Ganiyu does not want the team to represent the country at the World Cup in Indonesia.
“I hope this is not the team going to the world cup? I have never seen a poor and technically deficient U-20 team like the current one. The coach did not try at all in his selection.”
Gbolahan Philips stated, “The Flying Eagle U-20 are not good at all. They are just kicking the balls instead of passing the ball around and keeping possession. @thenff. I expect something better from Ladan Bosso. Don’t mind the NFF I’ve not seen any one of these guys who can transcend into the senior team. Plus the age palava. These guys look older than me and I’m in my thirties. I’m just angry with everything boss. How can you lose to the Gambia, with an overage team? Nawa…”
Damilola Adenusi insisted coach Bosso was not good enough for the team.
“Lasan Bosso is not a good coach. He has impacted nothing in the team. The current Flying Eagles is just lucky to qualify. They lack quality and the coach lacks the ability to impact technical and tactical knowledge.”
With this disappointing result, the Flying Eagles will face Tunisia in the third-place match on Friday, while Gambia battle Senegal, who beat Tunisia 3-0 in the other semis, in the final on Saturday.
The Punch
The Presidency has dismissed claims that Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent comments were directed at the political situation in Rivers State or President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s constitutional decisions on the matter.
In a statement on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, the Presidency described the reports as a “gross misrepresentation.”
The statement clarified that Vice President Shettima’s remarks at the public presentation of a book by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), were misconstrued by some online platforms and individuals.
“These reports have distorted the Vice President’s comments in pursuit of a mischievous agenda,” it stated.
“They twisted his account of how the administration of former President Jonathan considered removing him as Borno Governor during the insurgency to falsely link it with current events in Rivers State.”
The Vice President, who spoke at the launch of OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block in Abuja on Thursday, was said to have referenced the past solely to commend Adoke’s professionalism while in office, and to reflect on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution regarding federal and state relations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office. The constitutional measure implemented was a suspension, not an outright removal.
“This action was taken in response to the grave political crisis in Rivers State at the time, with the governor facing a looming impeachment and the State Assembly complex under demolition,” Nkwocha clarified.
The Presidency insisted that the action taken by President Tinubu in declaring a state of emergency and suspending the Governor was fully in line with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which authorises such measures when there is a breakdown of public order requiring extraordinary intervention.
According to the statement, the President’s proclamation invoking Section 305(2) was subsequently ratified by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the National Assembly, confirming the legitimacy and constitutional propriety of the decision.
“The action of President Tinubu in suspending Mr. Fubara and others from exercising the functions of office averted the governor’s outright removal. To conflate suspension with removal is misleading,” the statement further noted.
Nkwocha also stressed that Vice President Shettima’s comments were delivered extemporaneously and intended to underline the importance of public accountability and historical documentation.
He referenced the Vice President’s mention of past public servants, including Adoke and former Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to illustrate principled leadership.
“His remarks were not in any way a criticism of President Tinubu’s actions, which the Vice President and the entire administration fully support and stand by without reservation,” the spokesman stated.
The Vice President, the statement added, remains in “loyal concert” with President Tinubu and is committed to implementing all constitutional measures necessary to safeguard democracy and uphold order across the country.
Concluding, the Presidency called on media organisations and political actors to desist from misrepresenting public remarks for sensational or partisan purposes.
“We urge media organisations and political actors to desist from the destructive practice of wrenching statements from context in order to fabricate nonexistent conflicts,” Nkwocha said.
Headlines
Akpabio Relieves Natasha of Committee Chairmanship Position, Appoints Akwa Ibom Senator As Replacement
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has replaced suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora/Non-Governmental Organisations.
In her place, Akpabio named Senator Bassey Aniekun Etim (Akwa Ibom -East).
The Senate President, who made the announcement on the floor in Abuja on Thursday, did not give any reasons.
The committee position had remained vacant since March when the Senate suspended the Kogi-Central Senatorial District lawmaker for six months for flouting the Senate’s rule on the seating arrangement and seat allocation.
The suspended lawmaker, at a point, chaired the Senate Committee on Local Content before Akpabio reassigned her to the Committee on Diaspora/NGO, shortly before she ran into trouble with the Senate over her conduct on seat allocation.
The Supreme Court has affirmed the 2024 governorship election victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo.
In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba, the apex court ruled that the appeal lacked merit. It upheld the earlier judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had both declared Okpebholo the validly elected governor.
