I will say Goodbye Nigeria fail to qualify for World Cup – Rohr

Super Eagles Manager Gernot Rohr has said he is 100 per cent focus to qualify Nigeria for the 2018 World Cup in Russia but in case he failed the country focus he will be left with no option to honour his contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Rohr took over as coach of the Nigeria team last year on a two-year deal, which is tied to ensuring that Nigeria is in Russia. The qualification also means an automatic extension of his contract by another two years.

Failure to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup will leave his future as coach of the team in the hands of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), but the coach on Monday said he will leave the team if they fail to qualify regardless of what the NFF decides.

Rohr who fielded questions about his future if Nigeria fails to qualify for the World Cup in a live sport program on cable television mornitored on Monday night said;

“If we fail to win the ticket to be at the World Cup, for me I’ll say goodbye, but at the moment we are hopeful of getting a result against Cameroon, it is a challenge am willing to take. However, if I fail, I’ll leave.”

Although Nigeria currently leads their World Cup 2018 qualifiers group with four points ahead of their closest challengers Cameroon.

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FRSC commander in Rivers state recalled for harassing female officers [PHOTOS]

The Federal Road Safety Corps has recalled its Rivers state sector commander, Ayodele Kumapayi, for harassing female officers.

Kumapayi, while meting out disciplinary action on some female officers, controversially cut the hairs of their hairs during a routine parade on Monday.

The FRSC spokesperson, Bisi Kazeem, confirmed Kumapayi’s recall on Tuesday morning while addressing the media on the issue.

He said that other officers who allegedly participated in that act have been recalled alongside Kumapayi.

He said the sector commander accused the female marshals of carrying long hairdo which however, was not a crime under any law in Nigeria.

Kazeem said the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, ordered the errant officers’ immediate recall pending investigation into the incident.

Kazeem said the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, ordered the errant officer’s immediate suspension pending investigation into the incident.

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U.S. allies rule out military solution in Syria

Germany and Italy stressed Tuesday the need for a political solution in Syria, where the U.S. has intervened with missile strikes in response to a chemical weapons attack on civilians.

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7), which comprises the U.S., Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada, discussed the crisis with representatives from the European Union and several Middle Eastern countries.

“We do not believe that the military solution is the right one,” said Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, who hosted the talks also involving ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan.

The ministers, meeting in the Tuscan town of Lucca, agreed that “Russia must not be isolated and, on the contrary, must insofar as possible be involved in the political transition process in Syria,” Alfano added.

While the White House said Monday the U.S. was ready to repeat strikes against Syrian targets to prevent the use of chemical weapons, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson focused on diplomacy in talks with partners, Germany said.

“Tillerson explicitly said they are seeking a non-violent, non-military way,” German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told reporters, praising his U.S. counterpart for taking “a very realistic and clear stance.”

The U.S. bombing of Syrian airfield on April 7 in response to the attack in the city of Khan Sheikhoun has confounded expectations that Donald Trump would be an isolationist president, and soured his relations with Russia.

Russia, a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has condemned US actions as reckless and counterproductive.

Iran, another main backer of the regime in Damascus, has expressed similar concerns.

The G7 was attempting to put up a united front on Syria ahead of Tillerson’s Wednesday visit to Moscow.

Calls Britain made on Monday to threaten Syria and Russia with further sanctions did not seem to make headway.

Nevertheless, Gabriel urged Moscow to reconsider its support for al-Assad.

“I believe that it is almost inconceivable that Russia wants to stand on the side of such a murderous regime as that of Bashar al-Assad for the long haul,” he said.

North Korea’s illegal nuclear programme and the US decision to send warships to the Korean peninsula, ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Libya, the threat from terrorism and migration were also on the agenda.

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I want to play for Manchester United – Olatunbosun

Sikiru Olatunbosun

Twenty-one-year-old Lagos-based MFM Midfielder, Sikiru Olatunbosun, says that he dreams playing for Manchester United FC of England in the nearest future.

The highly dependable winger told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that Manchester United was his dream club because of quality of players it possessed.

“I love Manchester United and they are my favourites. I have had offers from other leagues and I can play anywhere.

“I also love German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and Spain’s La liga. I don’t mind playing for any of those clubs.

“For now, I want to concentrate on my playing career with MFM and help them win the league which I know is possible with the quality of players we have,’’ said the CNN Goal of the Week Award winner for Match Day 10.

Olatunbosun, who received in the first week of March, started his playing career with MFM on their debut in the 2016/2017 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) has been in sparkling form since he broke into the first team.

He scored a brace against Akwa-United FC in August last season to mark his 21^st year birthday and finished the season with seven goals.

Olatunbosun was also part of the selected NPFL All-star team that went on a playing tour of Spain last season.

For the current season, Olatunbosun opened his goal account for MFM on the Match Day I fixture against Niger Tornadoes of Minna. The team eventually won the game 3-0.

Speaking after the opening match, confident Olatunbosun said that he hoped to scoop the season’s top scorer award.

“I hope to win the top scorer’s award to better my performance last year. This year, we want to play in the continent,’’ he said confidently.

Matching his words with action, Olatunbosun hugged the headlines with his wonder goal during the Match Day 10 encounter against the NPFL defending champions, Rangers International Fc of Enugu.

The spectacular 31^st minute goal in the 2-1 win against Rangers drew global attention and also won him many accolades, including the most coveted CNN goal of the week.

A brilliant Olatubosun got a pass from Stephen Odey, controlled the pass with his left leg, and made a brilliant turn to volley the ball beyond the reach of hapless Rangers’ Ghanaian goalkeeper, Nana Bonsu.

In recognition of his ingenuity, CNN awarded him the goal of the week thereby becoming the first NPFL player ever to win the award.

To win the award, Olatunbosun garnered astonishing 82 per cent of the 6,647 total votes cast to beat the likes of Raja Nainggolan of Roma in Italian Serie A.

Other contenders include Youri Tielemans of Anderlecht in Belgium and Joey Jones of Woking FC of England.

Commenting on the award, an elated Olatunbosun dedicated the award to the proprietor of the club and the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire Ministry (MFM), Dr Daniel Kolawole Olukoya.

“I dedicate this award to the General Overseer of the church for the opportunity to be part of the MFM team.

“I also want to give thanks to God for the award; my coaches, teammates, officials, the director of the team and to all my fans all over the world who voted for me,’’ he said.

On MFM chances of winning the league, Olatunbosun minced no words in confirming their chances of winning the NPFL.

“We can win the league because we are ripe enough. We have faced tough oppositions in the league without defeat, so we are capable of winning it.

“The crop of players in MFM now is experienced enough to make something out of the league and if we are unable to win the league, I think top three finish is within the reach.

“Playing in the continent cannot be a problem though clubs from Nigeria are not doing well for now, but that does not mean we cannot make our mark in the continent.

“We needed a chance to prove what we can do in the continent and I hope we will perform better,’’ he said.

NAN reports that MFM now tops the NPFL table with 33 points from 18 matches; they recorded 10 wins, three draws and lost five of their matches.

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