Author: Opalim Lifted

Manchester United, Man United came from behind to beat Bodo/Glimt 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday and secure their first victory under new manager Ruben Amorim. Man United went ahead inside the first minute thanks to a howler from keeper Nikita Haikin, who failed to deal with a back pass and under pressure from Rasmus Hojlund the ball broke free for Alejandro Garnacho to tap in from close range. The Norwegians scored twice with quick breaks, Hakon Evjen hitting a superb strike into the top corner in the 19th minute and Philip Zinckernagel holding off Tyrell Malacia before beating…

Chelsea edged closer to the Europa Conference League knockout stage after maintaining their flawless start in the competition with victory over Heidenheim in Germany. Christopher Nkunku’s fifth goal in the group phase set Enzo Maresca’s side on their way to a fourth win in four games to stay top of the 36-team table. The France forward, who used to play in Germany for RB Leipzig, controlled Jadon Sancho’s pass into the box with one touch before burying the ball in the back of the net with his second. Nkunku has scored in every group phase game, while the £52m signing…

A federal high court in Gombe has sentenced two police officers and an immigration operative to seven years in prison over N1.6 million employment fraud. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Yusuf Abdulkarim Bature and Musa Philip—the police officers—on a two-count charge of obtaining by false pretences and intent to defraud, and Nasiru Mohammed—the immigration personnel—on a one-count charge of obtaining by false pretences. “That you, Yusuf Abdulkarim Bature and Musa Philip, while being public officers with the Nigerian Police Force, sometime in 2022 in Gombe, within the Gombe Judicial division at the Federal High Court of Justice…

The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC) Isa Kwarra, has said that Nigeria’s long-overdue national census will be conducted in 2025. Kwarra made this announcement during the 2024 Anniversary of the Nairobi Summit on the International Conference on Population and Development, ICPD, on Thursday in Abuja. According to him, the delay in conducting the census has affected Nigeria’s ability to assess population needs and allocate resources, especially in rural and underserved areas. “This gap in accurate population data poses challenges in tailoring reproductive health services and interventions to specific demographic groups, ultimately undermining progress toward reducing maternal mortality and…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says its procurement organisation will transition to a cloud-based system on the SAP Ariba network from January 1, 2025. In a statement on X, the company’s chief supply chain officer, Uzoma Emelife, said the transition is part of NNPC’s digital strategy, aimed at enhancing business capabilities, maximizing competitiveness, and improving performance. The stated-owned oil company also announced its suppliers’ summit, themed, ‘Reshaping the Future of Procurement and Supplier Management’. Slated for December 3, 2024, the oil company said the event intends to connect vendors with contracting opportunities on the Ariba platform. “This remarkable…

Former Manchester City striker Mikheil Kavelashvili is set to become the president of Georgia after the country’s ruling party nominated him as their candidate. The 53-year-old joined City from Georgian club Dinamo Tbilisi during the 1995-96 season and went on to score three goals in 28 appearances for the club. Kavelashvili is best remembered for scoring on his debut in a 3-2 defeat by Manchester United, weeks before City were relegated from the Premier League. He was loaned to Swiss club Grasshoppers and left permanently the following summer because he did not play enough games for his work permit to…

Ruud van Nistelrooy is set to be appointed as Leicester City’s new manager. The 48-year-old Dutchman would replace Steve Cooper, who was sacked after just 157 days in charge following Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat by Chelsea. Van Nistelrooy’s appointment comes two weeks after he left his role as interim head coach at Manchester United, following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal. He oversaw three wins and one draw during his stint in charge at United, but departed after being told he would not be given a role in new manager Ruben Amorim’s backroom staff. Two of Van Nistelrooy’s victories were against…

FIFA will give $50 million to the WHO, WTO and UNHCR as part of its Qatar World Cup legacy fund, football’s global governing body announced on Wednesday. In its 2022 annual financial report, FIFA announced a gross profit of nearly $5.8 billion from the tournament in Qatar that year. FIFA will support a World Health Organization initiative which helps protect people working in regions exposed to extreme heat linked to climate change. In partnership with the World Trade Organization, FIFA will also support a programme aimed at helping women exploit the opportunities of international trade and the digital economy. With…

Liverpool finally ended their Real Madrid curse as they maintained their flawless Champions League record with a fully deserved victory in a thrilling encounter at Anfield. They had failed to beat the holders in eight previous meetings in the tournament – including two Champions League finals – but there was no denying Liverpool as head coach Arne Slot’s remarkable start in succession to Jurgen Klopp continues. Liverpool dominated Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who have now lost three of their five games and must fight for a play-off place in the tournament’s new format. In a game where the two superstars, Liverpool’s…

Barcelona and Spain’s Lamine Yamal has won the 2024 Golden Boy award. The award, founded by Italian newspaper Tuttosport, is given to the best European men’s player under the age of 21, with journalists voting using a points system. Yamal, 17, established himself as a first-team regular for Barcelona last season before helping Spain to win Euro 2024. The winger scored one goal and assisted four more as he was named young player of the tournament. In October Yamal won the Kopa Trophy, an equivalent prize handed out during the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony. He has scored six goals and…