ONE WORD

 Bayern Munich wrapped up a seventh straight Bundesliga title on Saturday Bayern Munich may have wrapped up a seventh successive Bundesliga title on Saturday, but their domestic dominance was severely tested in one of the most exciting German league campaigns in years. Perennial champions Bayern, who have romped to the title every season since 2013, finished just two points ahead of Borussia Dortmund, as the title race went down to the final day of the campaign for the first time in a decade. Borussia Dortmund were one of three German clubs knocked out by English opposition in the second round of the Champions League this season Yet while the excitement was higher than ever at home, German clubs fared surprisingly poorly in European competition, raising concerns the Bundesliga is a league in decline. Dortmund's title challenge, though ultimately unsuccessful, provided welcome respite from the hegemony Bayern have enjoyed in recent years. Since 2013, the Bavarian giants...

At least eight members of a Ugandan football team and their fans died and 15 more are missing, after a boat, they were travelling in capsized on Lake Albert, police said Monday. The boat was travelling between two fishing villages in the west of the country when it capsized, with police attributing the accident to overloading and bad weather. “So far we have recovered eight bodies … up to 15 people are missing and a joint Marine unit is on the waters. But we expect no more survivors,” Ugandan area regional spokesman, Julius Allan Hakiza, told AFP. A local official in Fofo, Baker Ogen, told AFP the toll was higher. “Those who have died in this tragedy are 30 and all from my area,” said Ogen. “The boat was loaded with our players and supporters. It had over 60 people but 32 of those survived,” he said, adding that the dead included five players and the team coach. “It is a tragedy for us and a big loss,” he added. In December 2016, at least 30 Ugandan members of a villag...

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Monday said it remained committed to assisting member states in preventing further diversions, theft and  leakages of small arms. A representative of the commission, Mr Ahoba Joseph made the commitment during the inauguration of multi national small arms and ammunition group course at the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre in Jaji Military Cantonment, Kaduna State. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the physical security and stockpile management competence seminar is a collaboration between ECOWAS and German government through the multinational small arms and ammunitions group. Joseph said that in the next five years, the intervention planned by ECOWAS will deliver to the region a pool of instructors and senior instructors. “The commission stands ready to accompany its members states in strengthening the physical security and safety of amories of their security forces, so t...

The Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) has called out ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo over what it termed “another failed plot to incite violence across the nation.” Former President  Obasanjo, Nigeria’s number one citizen between 1999 and 2007, had claimed that Boko Haram and marauding Fulani herdsmen are out to Islamize and Fulanize Nigeria and the entire West Africa. However, in response, the Coalition for Nigeria Movement believes this is another coy by the “ex-president” to cause friction in the much-admired relationship between Christians and Muslims. According to Sabo Odeh, the group’s convener, “the former president could have more mischief under his sleeves hence Nigerians shouldn’t be surprised. “We are aware that Obasanjo is sad brought on by his failure wasted years in office as a president that did not do enough to positively impact the life of Nigerians. His depression has been worsened by the direction and focus that President Muhammadu Buhari has been abl...

Prof. Moji Adeyeye, Director General, NAFDAC The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in the North Central zone says it has mopped up varied quantities of expired beverages across the zone. Prof Moji Adeyeye, the NAFDAC Director-General said this in a press statement on Monday in Abuja following series of complaints from consumers. Adeyeye said that the beverages had either expired or contained extraneous particles, and were being sold to unsuspecting members of the public. She said that all NAFDAC state coordinators in the zone were directed to carry out discreet surveillance in their respective states on the products. “In response to series of complaints from consumers, NAFDAC state coordinators were instructed to carry out discreet surveillance of non-alcoholic beverages. “The exercise culminated in the mopping up of several quantities of expired non-alcoholic beverages with a street value of about N450, 000 at Terminus Market in Jos. ...

Lagos – A 39-year-old petty trader, Moji Aderibigbe, accused of stripping naked and pouring urine on the church altar, on Friday appeared in a Yaba Chief magistrates’ Court in Lagos. Aderibigbe, who resides in Pedro Area of Lagos is charged with insult to a religion and disorderly conduct. The Police prosecutor, Sgt. Modupe Olaluwoye, told the court that the defendant committed the offence at 8 p.m. on May 13, at No. 49, Onabola St., Ladi-lak area of Bariga, Lagos. Olaluwoye told the court that Mr Francis Osibowale, the pastor of the Firebrand Power Ministry, caught the defendant’s 15-year-old son vandalising church property. “My Lord, when Aderibigbe was told that the pastor had taken her son to the station, she took off her clothes inside the church building. “She also climbed the altar and began to urinate,” she s The offence, she said, contravened the provisions of sections 124 and 168 (a) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011. After the charge was read to her, she pl...

​Manchester United have kick-started negotiations with S.L. Benfica wonderkid João Félix as they look to beat Real Madrid to the teenager's signature this summer. The 19-year-old forward has had a breakout season in the Portuguese capital, scoring 20 goals and claiming 11 assists as Benfica rounded off their season by winning the league title thanks to a 4-1 win over Santa Clara on Saturday. Félix's performances this season has seen him become a major transfer target for a number of Europe's biggest club, most notably attracting interest from Manchester United and Real Madrid. And Sunday's edition of Record (via Sport Witness) claimed that United have actually begun negotiations over a move for Félix this summer. It's added that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side are even willing to meet the teenager's €120m release clause to pip Real Madrid to Félix's signature before the start of next season. Atlético Madrid are also claimed to be monitoring Féli...

Baba Fryo has become the latest victims of brutality in the hands of security operatives in Lagos state.   Friday Igwe   Veteran Nigerian musician, Friday Igwe popularly known by his stage name, Baba Fryo has shared photos of himself with a battered face and has alleged that he was assaulted by unknown soldiers in Lagos.   The singer who was famous in the late 90s and known for his street song,  “Denge Pose”  shared a photo of his bloodied face and revealed that the unknown soldiers did that to him.   The veteran entertainer did not go into details of the assault but simply said,  “I was humiliated by unknown soldiers I tried forced them to the barrack but a female soldier interfered and allowed them to escape. The case is under investigation. Thanks to Ojo Army barrack who took the case on their shoulder I pray they will surely be caught and brought to book.” See a photo of his injured face below:  

Arsenal are eyeing up a summer move for teenage Saint-Etienne centre-back William Saliba, Goal  understands. The 18-year-old defender has enjoyed a breakthrough season in France, making 17 appearances in all competitions. Unai Emery is looking to bolster his defensive options after seeing his side concede 51 goals in the Premier League during his first campaign in north London. And it is understood Saliba is top target for the Gunners, who have watched him extensively this season in Ligue 1 and have been impressed with the maturity he has shown for such an inexperienced player. Arsenal are looking to freshen up what they believe is an unbalanced and ageing squad this summer, with a deal having already been agreed for Brazilian teenage forward Gabriel Martinelli . And Saliba, who stands at an imposing 6'4", fits the criteria of the type of player the north London club are looking to recruit. Arsenal watched the teenage centre-back in action again on Saturday when ...

Oshoala Nigeria international Asisat Oshoala has become the first African to score in a Uefa Women's Champions League final. The Super Falcons attacker was introduced as an 87th-minute substitute in Saturday's final which made it her third appearance in the competition. With Lluis Cortes' side trailing 4-0, the Dalian Quanjian loanee found the back of the net in the 89th minute but it was not enough to inspire her team's fight back. The effort was Oshoala's maiden goal in the Women's Champions League this season and her eighth goal after 11 matches for Barca. ASISAT M.O.N @AsisatOshoala I would like to appreciate this moment , FIRST EVER NIGERIAN /AFRICAN TO PLAY IN A uefa champions league final GAME , FIRST EVER NIGERIAN /AFRICAN PLAYER TO SCORE IN A uefa CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL GAME, FIRST PLAYER TO score fc Barcelona FIRST uefa champions league final GOAL. 16K 9:46 AM - May 19, 2019 5,775 people are talking ...

​Borussia Dortmund are close to completing the double signing of wingers Julian Brandt and Thorgan Hazard after both elected against a switch to the Premier League. Speculation suggested that the latter was being lineup up by Chelsea as a replacement for his brother Eden, with English rivals Liverpool also believed to be monitoring the Belgian. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur were amongst a collection of clubs vying to bring in Brandt following the German's scintillating season for Bayer Leverkusen. The younger Hazard has enjoyed an equally strong campaign, amassing ten goals and assists apiece in the ​Bundesliga as his Borussia Mönchengladbach side fell marginally short of ​Champions League qualification, losing out to Brandt's Leverkusen. However, the pair are now set to join forces at Signal Iduna Park, with ​BILD writing that Lucien Favre's team have beaten off competition from the likes of ​Spurs and ​Atletico Madrid to land top target Brandt. The news of the 2...

The Nigeria Police Force has denied reports that 20 persons were killed during herdsmen of invasion of Enugu community on Monday. The police in a statement SP Ebere Amaraizu, Police Public Relations Officer Enugu State on Monday said the report was a’false, misleading, mischievous and malicious publication and was meant to inform members of the public. The police further urged the public to disregard the reports as no incident of such took place in Enugu State saying the report was ‘an old story which occurred a long time ago in Nimbo Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, when Mr. Nwodibo Ekechukwu, referred in the said mischievous publication, was Commissioner of Police, Enugu State.’ The Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police Force, wishes to inform members of the public that its attention has been drawn to a mischievous and malicious publication trending in the social media, with a caption ‘HERDSMEN INVADE ENUGU COMMUNITY, KILL 20 PERSONS’ and dated May 20, 2019 and further ...

Nigerian singer, Naira Marley has been remanded in prison custody after appearing in court over credit card fraud.   Naira Marley in court   According to Punch Metro, Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered that upcoming musician, Azeez Fashola, alias Naira Marley, be remanded in prison custody.   The judge made the remand order on Monday morning shortly after the musician was arraigned before him on 11 counts, bordering on credit card fraud.   Naira Marley had pleaded not guilty to the cyber fraud charges pressed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.   The judge adjourned till May 30 to take the bail application filed by the defence counsel, Taiwo Oreagba, on behalf of his client.

Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky stepped into his new role as Ukrainian president with his inauguration on Monday, launching a new era for the country wracked by war and economic difficulties. A month after scoring a landslide election victory against incumbent Petro Poroshenko, the 41-year-old became Ukraine's youngest post-Soviet president. In a ceremony in parliament, he placed his hand on a copy of the constitution and the Bible and pledged to "protect the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine." He used his inaugural speech to announce that he is dissolving parliament, after wrangling with lawmakers in the lower house, in order to call early parliamentary elections, which had originally been scheduled for October. "People must come to power who will serve the public," Zelensky said. Critics had questioned whether Zelensky would be able to govern without a parliamentary majority. Even setting a date for his inauguration took weeks of negotiations wi...

As series creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss once wrote, and as a very evil and very dead man once said: "If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." Game of Thrones viewers came to understand those words all too well in "The Bells," the series' brutal penultimate episode in which Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) stormed King's Landing with fire and blood, killing thousands and thousands of innocent lives in the process. Given the shocking act of violence, any illusions about Game of Thrones ending on a happy note were well and fully eviscerated, rendered ash much like the rest of Westeros' central city. At the same time, it felt inconceivable that Benioff and Weiss would allow Daenerys to remain on the Iron Throne after such a disturbing conquest, certainly not when author George R.R. Martin and so many others in the Game of Thrones inner circle have described the ending with a single word: "Bittersweet....

 Migrants from Honduras, part of a caravan of thousands from Central America trying to reach the United States, walk next to the border fence as they prepare to cross it illegally, in Tijuana, Mexico, December 26, 2018. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem President Trump on Thursday unveiled his immigration reform plan, which calls for trading more economic immigrants for fewer family ones. The plan, which is the brainchild of presidential advisor Jared Kushner, fails to deliver what the economy desperately needs: more immigration. The plan does not touch overall immigration levels. Consider the labor market, which is a job creation machine that is desperate for new workers. This month, the Labor Department announced that the unemployment rate fell to a 50 year low of 3.6 percent. The unemployment rate hasn’t been this low since The Beatles released “Abbey Road.” Given the natural churn in the labor market, this unemployment rate means the country is enjoying essentially full employment. ...

French star Kylian Mbappe hinted at a future outside of club Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday after he was named Ligue 1's Best Player and Best Young Player of the Year. After he accepted the award, Mbappe told BeIN Sports, "It (the award) is an important moment for me, a turning point in my career. ... The moment of having more responsibilities, maybe at PSG, maybe elsewhere." When asked about the comments later, Mbappe did not go back on his words. "For me, it was the moment to say it. ... When I say something, I think about it," he said. "If it's at PSG, it's good, if it's elsewhere, it will be elsewhere for a new challenge." The 20-year-old helped lead PSG to the Ligue 1 title this season, scoring 32 Ligue 1 goals. Mbappe has won back-to-back Ligue 1 titles. At the 2018 World Cup, Mbappe helped France win the tournament with four goals in seven matches. Mbappe has been linked to Real Madrid since his breakout 2017 season with M...

Kylian Mbappe accepted his award as the Ligue 1 MVP, dedicated it to Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and then mentioned he could be off soon to another club. Wait, what? Yes, following Mbappe accepting his award, the French star and World Cup winner stated he hoped he could continue his career at PSG but left open the possibility of moving to another club that allows him to take the next steps in his caree “This is a very important moment for me, I arrive at a first or second turn of my career,” Mbappe said, via L’equipe. “I’ve discovered a lot of things here, I feel that maybe it’s time to have more responsibility. I hope it may be at Paris Saint-Germain, it would be with great pleasure, or perhaps elsewhere for a new project.” Mbappe later clarified his comments, stating he was looking for more responsibility. “If it’s at PSG, that’s good. If it is elsewhere, it will be elsewhere for a new challenge. “For me, it was time to say it. I am someone whole: w...

South African Footballer of the Season Thembinkosi Lorch (L) playing for South Africa against Nigeria in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier Orlando Pirates midfielder Thembinkosi Lorch was named South African Footballer of the Season on Sunday at an awards ceremony in Durban. The 25-year-old international beat two midfielders from champions Mamelodi Sundowns, Hlompho Kekana and Themba Zwane, in a vote among the 16 top-flight league coaches. Lorch, who also won the Players' Player of the Season award, was overcome by shyness after receiving the trophies, limiting his acceptance speech to one sentence. "Pirates' players deserve these awards -- I accept them on their behalf," said a star set to be part of the South Africa squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt next month. Pirates finished runners-up in the league behind Sundowns for the second successive season, and were beaten finalists in the League Cup. Dutch goalkeeper Peter Leeuwenburgh...

Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann Atletico Madrid chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin said the LaLiga club need "players totally committed" and ensured those who have "abandoned" the team will be replaced by quality amid Antoine Griezmann's plans to leave. Griezmann will depart Atletico after five years, with the France international and World Cup winner linked to LaLiga champions Barcelona, having turned down a move to Camp Nou last year. It is set to be a busy off-season for Atletico, who will lose captain Diego Godin, Lucas Hernandez and Griezmann, while there is uncertainty over Rodri, Filipe Luis, Juanfran and Diego Costa. And CEO Gil Marin called on the squad to step up next season amid a period of change, with Atletico coming off a runners-up finish in LaLiga this term. "[We need] players totally committed to the project, in which the group is above any individuals, as we aim to compete at the highest level as we have been doing ...

Following the latest US crackdown on Chinese technology companies, Google has cut off Huawei’s Android license, dealing a huge blow to the besieged phonemaker. Reuters first reported the news. Reached for comment, a Google spokesperson said only “We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications.” The order, in this case, appears to be the US Commerce Department’s recent decision to place Huawei on the “Entity List,” which as Reuters reports is a list of companies that are unable to buy technology from US companies without government approval. Speaking to Reuters, a Google spokesperson confirmed that “Google Play and the security protections from Google Play Protect will continue to function on existing Huawei devices.” So while existing Huawei phones around the world won’t be immediately impacted by the decision, the future of updates for those phones as well as any new phones Huawei would produce remains in question. Huawei is now restricted to using the Androi...

 Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane oversees a last day defeat ahaed of what promises to be an action packed transfer window Real Madrid delivered a suitably dreadful end to their miserable season, and Gareth Bale was not even given the chance to say a likely goodbye, as Zinedine Zidane's side were beaten 2-0 at home to Real Betis on Sunday. Zidane had indicated this could be Bale's final game ahead of an expected summer departure but the Welshman was left on the bench, made to watch on as three substitutes came on ahead of him at the Santiago Bernabeu. None were able to revive another dreary and disjointed Madrid performance, which concluded both the season and first phase of Zidane's much-hailed return as coach. "The best thing for us is that it's over and we can think about next year," he said afterwards. "Because things will change, for sure." As the players saluted the fans at the end, they were greeted by a chorus of whistles. By t...

Juventus vice-president Pavel Nedved said the Italian champions have not decided who will replace outgoing head coach Massimiliano Allegri. Allegri will leave Juve after Sunday's Serie A finale against Sampdoria and the likes of Chelsea's Maurizio Sarri and Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi have been linked. Former coach Antonio Conte, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino and France boss Didier Deschamps have also emerged as potential replacements. However, Nedved told Sky Sports Italia: "There will be some evaluations, we are in no rush and can take our time. "It won't be easy, we know this era can never be repeated, so it'll be even more difficult. "So far, we were evaluating what to do with Max, so did not contact any other coaches. We have ideas, including some pretty clear ones, but have made no decisions." Nedved was speaking prior to Juve's 1-1 draw against Champions League-chasing Atalanta – Allegri's final home match in charge...

Lionel Messi turns 32 this summer, and after more than a dozen years of first team soccer, playing more than 50 games a season, the old man’s still got it. The Argentine star, playing his first season in almost a decade without direct competition from Cristiano Ronaldo, scored twice as Barcelona tied Eibar, 2-2. The two goals gave him 34 for the season, by far the most by any player in the league, and his 50th in all competitions. Messi also led La Liga this season with 13 assists, 136 shots, 85 shots on target and 70 through balls. In terms of successful dribbles, Messi’s 132 fell seven short of Celta Vigo’s Sofiane Boufal. LaLiga ✔ @LaLigaEN Most goals – Messi (36) Most assists – Messi, Sarabia (13) Most clean sheets – Oblak (20) Fewest goals conceded – Oblak (27) Most saves – Bono (125) Most passes – Mandi (2578) Most recoveries - Banega (290) # LaLigaSantander 2,084 9:26 PM - May 19, 2019 409 people are talking about this Messi...