2024 | Page 64 of 68 | Trendbrio.com

Ronaldo scores 900th career goal in Portugal win

Prince Odutola4 months ago4 months ago02 mins

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 900th career goal in Portugal’s Nations League victory over Croatia on Thursday. The star forward found the net in the 34th minute at the Stadium of Light in Lisbon. “It means a lot,” Ronaldo said after Portugal’s 2-1 win. “It was a milestone I wanted to reach for a long time. I knew I would reach this number, because as I continue to play, it would happen naturally.” In the celebration, Ronaldo raised his hands to his face and dropped to his knees. “It was emotional because it’s a milestone,” he said. “It seems like any other milestone, but only I know, and the people around me, how hard it is to work every day, to be physically and psychologically fit, to score 900 goals. It’s a unique milestone in my career.” It was the 131st goal of his international career. The goal put Portugal up 2-0. Croatia later made it 2-1. He is the first man to reach the 900-goal milestone in official matches for club and country. Ronaldo plays club soccer for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

Osimhen lands in Super Eagles’ camp

Prince Odutola4 months ago4 months ago01 mins

Galatasaray of Turkey new man Victor Osimhen has finally arrived the Super Eagles’ camp in Uyo ahead of Saturday’s AFCON 2025 qualifier against Benin Republic. The striker, upon arrival joined his national teammates in training at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. Osimhen was received by the team’s captain, William Troost-Ekong, others players and officials. He was also congratulated on his recent loan move to Turkey. With Osimhen’s arrival, all the invited 23 players for the Benin Republic and Rwanda clash are in camp.

Osimhen: Onyekuru lured me to Galatasaray

Prince Odutola4 months ago4 months ago03 mins

African footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen has revealed that Henry Onyekuru furnished him with necessary information before agreeing to Galatasaray move. The Nigeria striker has joined in a straight loan from Napoli with a break clause for January. He said upon signing his contract: “When I heard about Galatasaray’s interest, it was an easy decision for me. I knew how big Galatasaray was and how much of a family club it was. They have an incredible fan base. “Henry Onyekuru is my friend and he played for Galatasaray, he told me how big the club, the fans and the people here are. “So it was an easy decision for me. When I landed at the airport, the fans welcomed me with so much emotion that I felt very happy. “These things are important for a player. I want to do everything I can for them. “I can’t wait to start this project. I’m very excited.” On a reunion with former Napoli teammate Dries Mertens, he continued: “Dries Mertens was always with me when I played in Italy. He became a big brother to me. He is a person I respect a lot, I am excited to be teammates with him again. “I can’t wait to meet my teammates as soon as possible. I was already watching Galatasaray games. “I follow Mertens to see how he plays since he came here. I was following his development as a person and as a footballer. “The interactions of the players with the fans when they score goals and win games are also exciting. Now I hope our fans will support me after every goal. I can’t wait. “I say hello to the Galatasaray fans, Osimhen is here. Thank you very much for welcoming me at the airport. It was a great welcome.”

Eguavoen: Eagles set to make great start in 2025 AFCON race

Prince Odutola4 months ago4 months ago05 mins

Interim manager Augustine Eguavoen has declared that Nigeria’s Super Eagles are raring to go for all six points available in this month’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against their counterparts from Benin Republic and Rwanda. The reigning African vice champions clash with the Cheetahs of Benin Republic in Uyo on Saturday, 7th September and then keep a date with Rwanda’s Amavubi in Kigali three days later. “Our objective is clear: to pick the six points in both matches. The players know this, and are committed to accomplishing this. The matches will not be easy; no qualifying game can be taken for granted because all the teams want to play in the finals. However, we have spoken to the players and all of us are on the same page. “Starting with the match against Benin Republic on Saturday, nobody is mentioning anything about revenge. Our goal is three points, and then we aim for another three points in Kigali on Tuesday that will put us in good stead for qualification.” Eguavoen has a number of stalwarts who are truly determined to appease fans and enthusiasts for missing the two FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in June, from which poor results threaten the Eagles’ chances of reaching the 2026 finals. AFCON’s Man-of-the-Competition William Ekong, also team captain, was overlooked for the ties against South Africa and Benin Republic as he was recovering from injury, but is back at the heart of the rearguard to lead the three-time African champions to hunt for points for another showpiece. Ekong scored three goals at the AFCON finals early in the year. Reigning African Player of the Year Victor Osimhen missed the two games in June, as defender Ola Aina and star forward Moses Simon due to injury. Osimhen just signed for Turkish giants Galatasaray and will be keen to impress his new employers, while banishing talks of his rustiness. Rapid-raider Simon, who on his good day can single-handedly decimate the opposition, is also eager to again dorn the green-white-green, just as Aina. Eguavoen is most likely to start goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, with Aina, Semi Ajayi, Ekong and Bassey at the rear, and any three of Frank Onyeka, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Alhassan Yusuf and Raphael Onyedika in midfield. Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze, Simon, Taiwo Awoniyi, Victor Boniface and Ademola Lookman are gunning for shirts at the fore. Lookman, in the list of 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or, will walk with a greater spring in his steps, and justifiably so. He scored three crucial goals for Nigeria at the AFCON, and his 17 goals and 11 assists steered Atalanta FC to the Europa Cup final, where his hat-trick did the damage on German club, Bayer Leverkusen. Saturday’s match will kick off at 5pm inside the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

Lagos signs MOU with Chinese Coy on rice value chains, agric productivity

Prince Odutola4 months ago4 months ago03 mins

Lagos State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Chinese food processing company, Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co. Limited, to increase productivity in the rice value chain and enhance food security in the State. Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State Governor, who is currently in China with some Lagos State Government officials for the ongoing Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), witnessed the signing of the MoU on Wednesday. The Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Agriculture (Rice Mill Initiative), Dr. Oluwarotimi Fashola, signed the MoU on behalf of the Lagos State Government, while Group Director, Rice Industry Division, Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co. Limited, Mr. Wang Wei, signed on behalf of the Chinese company. The signing of the MoU was also witnessed by the Group Head of Rice, Wilmar Group, Mr. Prashant Trikha. The signing of the MoU and collaboration between the Lagos State Government and the Chinese company will enhance rice production and agricultural productivity in Lagos State in line with the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s quest for food security and agricultural revolution. He said: “We realise that we have the capacity to feed ourselves as a people, if we put the right investment in agriculture. That is why our administration has prioritised agricultural value chains. Our rice initiative, with the Imota Rice Mill is projected to provide 1,500 direct jobs and over 250,000 indirect jobs. The rice mill alone has a capacity to produce 2.8 million bags of 50 kg bags of rice yearly.” Lagos State Government is committed to enhancing agricultural productivity and has been actively engaged in the promotion of cultivation of rice to meet the high demand for rice consumption in Lagos State, further to which it has established a 32-metric-tonne per hour capacity rice mill in the Imota area of the State. Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings Co. Limited is one of the largest food processing companies in the Peoples Republic of China, which operates an integrated rice business covering the rice value chain, from cultivation to processing and distribution of milled rice.

NNPCL set to supply Dangote Refinery 17.8m barrels of crude oil

Prince Odutola4 months ago4 months ago02 mins

Vice President, Downstream, NNPCL Adedapo Segun has revealed that the Dangote Refinery will receive additional 17.8million barrels of crude oil as part of the Federal Government push to drive local production of petroleum products. Adedapo stated this on AriseNews Morning Show on Thursday. It was gathered that the state owned oil company has supplied 30 million barrels of crude to the refinery to start its operation. Dangote Refinery announced early in the week, at a press briefing addressed by its Group Chief Executive, Aliko Dangote, that it is now ready to release its PMS to the market. According to Adedapo, 6.8million barrels in 7 cargoes of crude oil will be delivered to Dangote Refinery in September, while another 11 million barrels will be delivered in November. The VP Downstream further revealed why NNPCL is the sole importer of PMS in the country, noting that market conditions have not made it possible for independent marketers to bring in products as a result of forex illiquidity and pump price that is far below landing cost. Contrary to media reports that Dangote Refinery will only sell products to NNPCL as sole off taker, Adedapo said that Dangote will sell products to other marketers once the market conditions are right for them to play, adding that NNPCL for now will act in public interest as provider of last resort as provided for in the Petroleum Industry Act.

Colombia 2024: Germany thrashes Falconets in Bogota

Prince Odutola4 months ago4 months ago03 mins

Two goals in the final half-hour steered three-time champions Germany to a 3-1 victory over Nigeria in their FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Group D clash at the Estadio Metropolitano de Techo in Bogota on Wednesday night. Nigeria could have gone ahead in the second minute after they snatched the ball from an onslaught by the Germans, but Chiamaka Okwuchukwu failed to beat goalkeeper Rebecca Adamczyk, after shunning the option of passing to team- mates running on goal. After Germany came close in the 10th minute, Rofiat Imuran raced down the left but her cross failed to find Okwuchukwu. Schitler then put the Germans in front in the 17th minute, when she nodded home an inch-perfect cross from the right with goalkeeper Shukura Bakare in no man’s land. There were opportunities at both ends as the game wore on, but Nigeria wasted another great chance to pull level in added time of the first half, when Rofiat Imuran again raced down the left, only to see goalkeeper Adamczyk stop her weak effort with a right-handed smack. Five minutes into the second half, Nigeria were level when Jalla Veit and Adamczyk blundered at the rear to allow Okwuchukwu to race towards an open goal and notch her first strike of the tournament. Germany restored their lead in the 61st minute, with Zoebell poking the ball past Bakare from a teasing cross, in-between two Falconets’ defenders. Okwuchukwu thought she had secured the leveller two minutes later, when she lashed the ball past Adamczyk after cutting in from the right, only to be ruled off-side. The Germans would make it 3-1 in added time, through Ernst’s flying header off a cross from the right that left Bakare rooted to the spot. In the event, the Germans secured their slot in the Round of 16, having earlier defeated Venezuela 5-2 on Matchday 1. Next for the Falconets is a clash with Venezuela in Cali on Saturday evening.

Osimhen pens Galatasaray loan deal

Prince Odutola4 months ago4 months ago01 mins

Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has officially signed with Turkish giants Galatasaray. The deal, finalized today, sees Osimhen joining the club on a loan from Napoli. Osimhen’s transfer to Galatasaray comes after a challenging summer, during which negotiations with other clubs, including Al-Ahli and Chelsea, fell through. The 25-year-old forward will wear the number 45 jersey for Galatasaray and is set to play in the Turkish Süper Lig until June 2025. The Turkish club has agreed to cover his annual salary of €11 million for the duration of the loan. This move reunites Osimhen with former Napoli teammate Dries Mertens, who played a role in encouraging the transfer. Upon his arrival in Istanbul, Osimhen was warmly welcomed by Galatasaray fans, expressing his excitement about joining the club and his eagerness to contribute on the field.