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Wenger Names Kanu As His Best January Signing

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Former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger has named Nwankwo Kanu as his best signing in the middle of the season during his 22-year spell with the Gunners.

Kanu moved to North London from Inter Milan for a reported £4.15m fee in 1999 and immediately established himself in the team.

He came off the bench to make a significant impact in first few outings for the Gunners with goals against Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa as a substitute.

He also bagged a 15-minute hat-trick against Chelsea in October 1999, which helped Arsenal turn around a two-goal deficit to claim a 3-2 win.

In his first few outings for the Gunners, the ex-Nigeria forward scored 17 goals in 50 matches, and he helped them to a runners-up finish in the Uefa Cup.

When quizzed about the best move he made in January, Wenger picked Kanu – who he described as a huge player – ahead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whom he signed from Borussia Dortmund for a then club-record fee in January 2018.

“What a difficult question. Over 20 years, maybe Kanu. In the middle of the season. That had a big impact and he was a huge player,” he told beIN Sport.

Kanu was a popular figure at Arsenal during his five-and-a-half years at the club, winning several individual and team laurels before joining West Bromwich Albion in 2004.

He was part of the Invincible team that won the 2003-04 Premier League title without losing a game and also won two FA Cups.

Wenger is currently working as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development after leaving Arsenal in 2018.

He disclosed that he is not in favour of the January transfer window, and he thinks it should be scrapped.

“No, I am not. Because I think it is like a race in a marathon where you change the shoes halfway,” he added.

“It is not right, when once you have started the season, you have to finish the season with the same players.

“Or you keep it open the whole season like it was when I arrived in England. They have chosen a rule that is not right.”

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PSG Bundle Barcelona Out of Champions League

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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.

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IGP Salutes Exceptional Performances of Police Athletes at 2023 African Games

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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.

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

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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.

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