Author: Chronicle Editor

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is to take over payment of all referees officiating games on behalf of African football’s ruling body in a bid to stamp out corruption. Previously, CAF rules stated that host associations should pay such costs. “The decision reduces the financial burden on national associations,” CAF said in a statement. “(It) also eliminates an ethical challenge because it removes the suspicion perceived between national associations and the referees.” “This historic decision is a materialisation of (an election) campaign promise by the CAF president.” It is the second time in a month that CAF has taken…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State on Thursday said a total of 657, 267 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were yet to be collected by their owners in the state. The INEC’s state administrative secretary, Mr Surajudeen Junaid, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan. Junaid urged those who had not collected the PVCs to come forward and collect the cards. He also encouraged Nigerians who attained voting age to utilise the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration to obtain their voter cards. READ: Son of Angola’s ex-president sacked from national investment…

Angolan President Joao Lourenco removed the son of his predecessor Jose Eduardo dos Santos from the top job at the oil-rich country’s sovereign wealth fund, the presidency said on Wednesday. Jose Filomeno dos Santos, who was implicated in the “Panama Papers” offshore scandal, will be replaced by former finance minister Carlos Alberto Lopes. Last year’s “Panama Papers” revelations showed how the world’s wealthy used a discreet Panamanian legal firm to stash assets offshore. The investment fund under Dos Santos Jr’s control has been shown to have transferred tens of millions of dollars to businessman Jean-Claude “Zenu” Bastos de Morais to…

Ian Wright thinks Mesut Ozil would perform better at Manchester United than he has at Arsenal. Ozil is out of contract at the end of the season and can talk to foreign clubs this month with a view to walking away from Arsenal for free in the summer. Wenger has insisted the club will not cash in on the playmaker in the January transfer window and has routinely said he remains hopeful Ozil can be tied down to a new deal. Asked if Ozil would perform better if he moved to United, a club he has been linked with in…

Everton have joined the race to sign Arsenal forward Theo Walcott, 28. The Englishman is also wanted by his first club Southampton, with the Gunners set to ask for close to £30m. (Liverpool Echo) RB Leipzig could let Guinean midfielder Naby Keita join Liverpool this month. The Reds have already agreed to sign the 22-year-old in the summer for £48m but may be able to take him in January for an additional 15-20m euros payment. (Bild – in German) Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill was set to meet with Stoke City officials on Wednesday over the vacant managerial position,…

Ekiti Governor Ayodele Fayose yesterday held an emergency security summit with hunters from the 16 local government areas of the state. Clad in military fatigue, the governor ordered the huntsmen to set up a 24-hour surveillance of the state to prevent attacks by herdsmen. The governor’s rather unconventional approach follows the recent massacre by herdsmen of over 70 people in Benue State amid widespread condemnation of Federal Government’s poor handling of the incident. “The Federal Government should have sent the army to Benue, not the police,” Fayose said. And to his Benue State counterpart, he declared: “Governor Ortom should fasten…

In the wake of outrage forced by the killings in Benue, Taraba and Adamawa States by herdsmen, a presidential spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, has frowned at those accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of condoning the massacres occasioned by farmers/herdsmen conflicts across the country. Adesina, who is the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in a video message he posted on his personal Facebook account on Wednesday in Abuja, dismissed the insinuations that the President was condoning the killing because he is a Fulani man. According to him, such killings by herdsmen predated the Buhari administration. He said: “Something…

Senator Suleiman Adokwe (PDP/Nasarawa South) has called for urgent measures to end the incessant farmers/herdsmen clashes to avoid dire consequences “especially acute food crisis”. “The farmers/herdsmen clashes have continued for too long; if this continues, food shortage is imminent,” Adokwe said on Wednesday, when he visited victims of Nasarawa and Benue violence taking refuge in Awe. Adokwe, Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and Culture, who took the relief items to the palace of the Emir of Awe, called for effective collaboration toward halting the clashes. He said that such collaboration would also help stakeholders to address other concerns like poverty,…

Valencia are set to sign French midfielder Francis Coquelin from Arsenal, Arsene Wenger has confirmed. The 26-year-old leaves for Spain in what is expected to be a £12m deal, having joined the Gunners as a youth player in 2008. He made 105 Premier League appearances and signed a new deal at Arsenal in January 2017. Wenger confirmed the transfer after Arsenal’s Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg draw with Chelsea on Wednesday. “He goes to Valencia because he didn’t get enough games with us this season and he had an opportunity. I let him go,” said Wenger. READ: Chelsea 0-0 Arsenal: Goalless…

Arsenal held Chelsea to a goalless draw in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday night. It was the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system that took centre stage during a relatively uneventful affair at Stamford Bridge, as referee Martin Atkinson used the technology twice to assess two penalty shouts in either half, neither of which were given. Chelsea had the better of the chances on the night, but could not break through Arsenal to leave the tie wide open heading into the second leg at the Emirates in two weeks. For the second time, after Brighton and…