Arsenal Watching Carvalho And Khedira In Midfielder Hunt

                                  
Arsenal are monitoring both William Carvalho and Sami Khedira, report the Telegraph, as Arsene Wenger seriously considers signing a central midfielder after captain Mikel Arteta suffered an injury that could keep him out for some time.

Arteta will definitely be sidelined for a fortnight after he sustained a knock during their Champions League 0-0 draw at Besiktas, although the Gunners fear that this absence could be even longer.

This will put even more pressure on Arsene Wenger to secure a new defensive midfielder, which looks to be the final position which Arsenal want to strengthen after a busy summer in the transfer market that has seen Alexis Sanchez, Mathieu Debuchy, David Ospina and Calum Chambers arrive at the Emirates Stadium.

Both Carvalho and Khedira are believed to be on Wenger’s radar, with the latter looking set to leave Real Madrid after Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that he had rejected a contract offer at the Bernabeu.

Arsenal were linked with Khedira earlier in the summer, but they baulked at the demands of both club and player – although these may now be lowered with the impasse that seems to have been reached.

Carvalho, meanwhile, is rated as one of Europe’s finest young defensive midfielders and the Sporting Lisbon man is expected to join one of Europe’s biggest clubs sooner rather than later.

Why Stephen Keshi may not return as Nigeria coach

Aug 21, 2014 14:09:00

The 52-year-old is fast loosing touch with the financial difficulties encountered by the country’s football authorities and might have already taken charge of his final game

SPECIAL By Lolade Adewuyi

There are strong indications that Stephen Keshi may not return to the Nigeria coaching job if his demands are not trimmed to fit into the financial reality of the Nigeria Football Federation.

The 52-year-old is seeking for an improved contract before signing back to lead the Super Eagles to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Having earned 5million Naira a month in his previous spell in charge, the former national team captain has requested for a new pay structure where he wants between 10-15m Naira per month.

However, as revealed by Goal last week, the NFF has said it does not have the means to pay the coach more than the 5m Naira that he was paid previously. If they could reduce it further, they would. 

Goal has now learnt that the NFF is under increasing pressure from the Sports ministry to cut its spending going into the new year. This will adversely affect the amount of money the NFF is able to spend on competitions and coaches at all levels.

With the increasing profile of other sports like athletics, weightlifting and wrestling where Nigeria picked up important medals at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the Sports ministry is looking to concentrate on more than just football.

As preparations increase towards the next Olympic Games in Rio, it is perceived that the Sports ministry and National Sports Commission will look to put more money in sports where the country has opportunity to win medals.

The thinking is that while male football provides just one medal, wrestling, weightlifting, power lifting and athletics will provide better opportunities for Nigeria to make a good showing in Brazil.

Hence, the funding for football in 2015 and beyond will become static. Therefore, there would be no justification for paying Keshi much more than he is already taking, even where it is owed sometimes.

The NFF is also going to find it difficult to raise more money from major sponsors GLO, Guinness and TomTom as they have refused to increase their financial standings due to the allegations of corruption flying around.

Perhaps the falling out with kit manufacturer adidas will bring about a better contract with the other major sportswear companies. This is yet to be seen.

While President Goodluck Jonathan is a keen admirer of Keshi’s work and has told the NFF to keep him by all means, the president rarely uses overwhelming influence to get things done and wouldn’t do it right now since he understands the limited finances of the sports ministry and the Glass House.

The only option that could see Keshi receive between 10-15m Naira for his new contract is if President Jonathan decides to pay the coach directly from the coffers of the Presidency.

This is also a very unlikely possibility seeing the enormous other issues that Aso Rock is dealing with going into the 2015 general elections.

It is also important to understand that president Aminu Maigari’s faction in the NFF does not like Keshi’s personality having taken the shine off them following the success of Afcon 2013. This is one of the main reasons why the renewal of his contract was delayed till after the World Cup in June.

Even if the other faction led by vice president Mike Umeh gets into office after the next NFF elections, it will still face the issue of lack of funds to pay Keshi according to his demands.

                                                                Keshi | End of an era?

Last week, Keshi’s agent Emmanuel Ado stated that the coach will not be taking a slave contract, that anything less would be demeaning to the profile of the highly successful trainer.

Yesterday, Keshi told Brila FM of his frustration with the NFF conditions: “If really NNF is serious, they are not going to propose the same condition that I had for two and half years, expecting me to take it for another four years. That means they don’t want me, indirectly they are telling me they don’t want me.”

He even went as far as saying that he passed up offers from other countries to pursue continuing his job with Nigeria, even picking the squad to play Congo and South Africa for next month’s Afcon qualifiers while out of contract.

“I’ve missed a lot of opportunities from other countries. It’s not only South Africa, I had Gabon and co., I can’t wait anymore. I wish the team well. I am happy with the players but you know my career also needs to move,” he said.

While Keshi has stuck to his guns and wouldn’t go back to the 5m Naira he was paid in his previous contract, Goal learnt that there are coaches willing to take the role for 3m Naira.

With another World Cup in four years time, there’s no pressure on the NFF since they have just won the Afcon and will gladly give the job to any coach who will work according to their terms.

Keshi’s time with the Super Eagles might sadly have come to an uncelebrated end.

Lagos female doctor dies of Ebola

NIGERIA’S battle against the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) suffered a major setback Tuesday.  The senior female doctor quarantined for having primary contact with the index case, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, is dead. Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, Senior Consultant and Endocrinologist at First Consultant Medical Centre Ikoyi, Lagos, died Tuesday evening, bringing the number of persons that have died because of the virus in the country to five.

2015 Elections: We won’t allow masked security men – Jega

ABUJA – The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Wednesday, said it would not allow the use of masked security agents to safeguard the 2015 general elections, saying that “any security personnel deployed for the election must be someone identifiable”.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega who made the position of the Commission known during an interactive session he had in Abuja with both local and international Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, involved in monitoring elections in the country, described the emerging trend of using hooded security men for elections as “highly worrisome”.

Drug blocks Ebola-like virus in monkey tests

An experimental drug treatment can help monkeys survive an otherwise deadly infection with a tropical virus called Marburg, which is similar to Ebola, researchers said Wednesday.

The findings in the journal Science Translational Medicine could speed efforts to bring to market a drug treatment against Ebola, a deadly hemorrhagic virus that is sweeping across West Africa in the largest outbreak to date.

There is no available drug or vaccine for Ebola, which has killed 1,350 people and infected 2,473 since March in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Guinea and Liberia.

Liberia’s Ebola clampdown turns violent

Violence erupted in an Ebola quarantine zone in Liberia’s capital Wednesday as authorities struggled to contain the deadly disease, while new suspected cases in Asia sparked fears of it spreading from Africa.

Four residents were injured in Monrovia’s West Point slum when soldiers opened fire on crowds and used tear gas as they tried to evacuate a state official and her family from the quarantined quarter.

The crackdown in Liberia comes as authorities around the world are scrambling to stem the worst-ever outbreak of Ebola, which has killed more than 1,200 people across west Africa this year.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf quarantined West Point and Dolo Town, to the east of the capital, and imposed a night-time curfew as part of new drastic measures to fight the disease.

Aspirants give Utuama, PDP 48-hr ultimatum on Ughelli South primaries

In WARRI—SIX Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, aspirants for the chairmanship position in Ughelli South Local Government, Delta State, have given the state Deputy Governor, Professor Amos Utuama and the party caucus in the area, a 48-hour to reverse the choice of Mr. Paul Etega as the flag-bearer, following the primaries held penultimate Saturday ahead of the council polls.

Nigeria invites Enyeama, 22 others for Devils, Bafana

Cup holders Nigeria have called up 23 players, including ace goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, for next month’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against the Red Devils of Congo and South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.

The list released by the Nigeria Football Federation on Tuesday also included defenders Kenneth Omeruo and Efe Ambrose, midfielders Ogenyi Onazi and John Mike Obi, and forwards Ahmed Musa and Emmanuel Emenike.

France –based Elderson Echiejile, who missed the 2014 FIFA World Cup as a result of injury, Nosa Igiebor who missed the final cut for Brazil and Chinedu Obasi who was not considered for the tournament, are all back for September’s double –header.

Divided opinions on Uduaghan’s administration, as Delta marks 23 yrs

Asaba—WITH less than nine months for Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State to leave office, Deltans seem to be sharply divided on his achievements so far.

While some of the governor’s aides are saying the governor has performed well, some other Deltans disagree and rather tasked the governor to do more by ensuring that the numerous uncompleted and abandoned projects were completed before he vacates office.

Bus crushes Okpara varsity student to death in Abia

A FIRST year diploma student of Computer Science at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, was on Monday crushed to death by a bus belonging to the fleet of Akwa Ibom State Transport Corporation, AKTC, in front of the university gate.

The student, simply identified as Cynthia, was said to have died on the spot, prompting the students to burn the vehicle that killed her.
The driver was lucky to be alive as the students were said to have accepted the appeal of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hillary Edeoga, who intervened in time to save the driver’s life.

Liberia gives experimental Ebola drug to three African doctors

 

HEALTH care workers in Liberia have administered three doses of the rare, experimental drug ZMapp to three doctors suffering from Ebola, two medical workers in Monrovia told Reuters.

Liberia, the West African country with the highest death toll from the tropical virus at 413, received three doses of the rare serum in a special consignment last week.

Doctors Zukunis Ireland and Abraham Borbor from Liberia and Dr. Aroh Cosmos Izchukwu from Nigeria are the first Africans to receive the treatment. The drug has already been administered to two American healthcare workers and a Spanish priest, all previously working in Liberian hospitals.

Cameroon closes borders, suspends flights from Nigeria

Following the fears of spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) through international air and seaports, including border land outposts of Nigerian Immigration Serives (NIS) in the Northeast sub-region of country, Cameroon has closed its borders with Nigeria and suspended all flights to and from Nigeria.

Cameroon, according to the NIS, has a border boundary of over 2, 000 kilometres in Borno, Adamawa, Taraba and Cross Rivers states in the South-South sub-region of Nigeria.