Sports

Finally, the End Has Come for Ighalo’s Man U’s Journey

Published

4 years ago

May 26, 2020

Eric

Odion Ighalo’s dream of making his stay with Manchester United may not materialize after all, according to reports from England.

Ighalo went on a short loan stint in January transfer window with Manchester United from the Chinese Super League side, Shanghai Shenhua, and following his impressive performance at Old Trafford, Coach Ole Gunnar Solksjaer have been trying to make his stay permanent.

In March, he said, “Odion has done really well – we need those qualities for next season so let’s see.”

Shanghai Shenhua earlier quoted a £20 million selling price to Manchester United, but the latest development indicates that the Chinese team are no longer keen on a deal.

Ighalo’s loan deal will end on May 31, but the English Premier League has been extended beyond that date by the coronavirus pandemic that forced the suspension of the competition.

There are still nine Premier League games ahead for Manchester United, as well as matches in the Europa League and the FA Cup.

With the Chinese Super League season slated to begin late June or early July, Shanghai Shenhua have asked Ighalo to return to base.

Reports say Manchester United, still keen on keeping Ighalo, tried to negotiate an extension to the loan deal until the end of the season, but the Chinese club turned down the request.

Manchester United was said to be reluctant to sign the 30-year-old Ighalo for the quoted amount especially as the injured Marcos Rashford is back in the fold.

Many people associated with the Red Devils initially had doubts about Ighalo’s ability to deliver for the club, but the former Watford striker soon dispelled such doubts.

Former Red Devils’ striker, Dimitar Berbatov describes Ighalo as the striking ‘bully’ that Manchester United have been crying out for long.

Berbatov admits to being wrong when it comes to the 30-year-old’s value, with it looking as though the Red Devils have pulled off a shrewd piece of business.

He told Betfair in February, “I’m really happy to see that Odion Ighalo is settling in well and he deserves it with the way he is playing, how he links the plays and the goals he is scoring.

“All the team are happy when he scores which shows he is fully integrated, and I like the way he looks for the ball and bullies the defenders.

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t know too much about him before he joined, obviously I knew about his record in the Premier League, but I questioned if he was the right man and if he would get into the team, but so far he is doing well and proving me wrong.”

While rejecting Manchester United’s loan extension offer, Shanghai Shenhua will make Ighalo Africa’s highest paid footballer ever with a £400,000 per week contract extension until 2024.

Sports

PSG Bundle Barcelona Out of Champions League

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have kicked 10-man Barcelona out of the Champions League as they qualified for the semi-final after winning 4-1 at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona had won the first leg 3-2 in Paris, but PSG won 6-4 on aggregate to qualify for the semi-finals.

Kylian Mbappe grabbed a brace in the encounter to see PSG through.

A Superb work from Lamine Yamal squared the ball to Raphinha, who beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a brilliant shot into the bottom right corner to give Barcelona a 12th minute lead.

In the 29th minute, Ronald Araujo made an ugly tackle on his opponent and was sent off by the referee leaving the homers with 10 men to play the entire duration.

PSG capitalised on their advantage and equalised in the 40th minute. A former Barcelona player, Ousmane Dembele equalised for the visitors.

Bradley Barcola played the ball to Dembele, who showed great determination to get to the ball before a couple of defenders and from inside the box he shot into the top right corner of the net to make it 1-1.

PSG made it 1-2 in the 54th minute from a fantastic finish by Vitinha from just outside the box. He wasted little time in getting away a bullet of a shot that flew past the goalkeeper into the bottom left corner of the net.

Mbappe added another goal for PSG from the penalty spot in the 61st minute. He put the ball into the top left corner past the outstretched arm of Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

A minute to duration time, PSG made it 1-4. Mbappe fired the rebound into the bottom right corner after the ball broke to him in the box.

Sports

IGP Salutes Exceptional Performances of Police Athletes at 2023 African Games

Published

1 week ago

April 11, 2024

Eric

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D, NPM, has commended the exceptional performances of the Police Athletes who distinguished themselves, as Nigeria’s ambassadors at the recently concluded 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana.

The IGP notes that their remarkable performances across various sporting events have brought immense pride to the Force and the country at large.

While receiving the athletes, the IGP, who was represented by the Force Director of Sports (FSO), CP Patrick A. Atayero, likened the African Games to a continental Olympics, and harped on the significance of young and talented Police Sports Men and Women showcasing their skills, passion, determination and courage on such a prestigious stage to emerge Medalists. He emphasized that the success of Police Athletes at the 13th African Games which held from 8th to 26th March, 2024, shortly after the 14th Biennial Police Games (Oluyole 2024) that concluded on 2nd March in Ibadan, is a veritable testament to the effectiveness of the sports development initiatives of the Force.

The medalists – Inspr. Aisha Adamu, Sgt. Mohammed Inuwa, Sgt. Emmanuel Bala, Sgt. Matthew Deshi, Corporal Chika Blessing, Corporal Nathaniel Samson, Corporal Victor Ikechukwu, Corporal Eweh Emmanuel, Corporal Collins Obi, Corporal Godwin Sunday, Corporal Emmanuel Ochayi, Corporal Aminu Garba, PC Olayiwola Zainab, PC Mabel David, PC Precious Joel, PC Esther Peter, and Bello Tunde Muiz (Education Officer II), demonstrated exceptional dexterity in Arm wrestling, Athletics, Badminton, Mixed Martial Arts, Swimming and Hockey. These Police Athletes garnered 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 5 Bronze totalling 8 Medals, for Nigeria at the Continental Sports Fiesta.

The Inspector General of Police appreciates all Police Athletes for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to sporting excellence, national unity and development in all spheres in Nigeria. He reiterates that their collective success serves as an inspiration to other Police Officers and fellow aspiring Athletes and inestimable potentials across the nation.

Sports

Super Falcons Draw Goalless with South Africa, Quality for Paris Olympics

Published

1 week ago

April 9, 2024

Eric

Nigeria’s female national football team, Super Falcons have qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Nigeria beat South Africa 1-0 on aggregate to reach the Summer Olympics.

Rasheedat Ajibade scored from the spot in the first leg of the qualifiers in Abuja on Friday.

That goal was enough for the Super Falcons to pick one of Africa’s tickets for the women’s football event of the Paris Olympics as the second leg tie ended goaless in South Africa.

The last time Nigeria’s Super Falcons reached the Olympics was 16 years ago.