NEWS RELODED

Here are five of Jose Mourinho’s most notable quotes picked out by  AFP Sports  from his first press conference as Manchester United manager on Tuesday. “I was in trouble for the last five months: the first month (at Chelsea) was fine, the second month was not so good and after the second month it was a disaster.” – Mourinho on the troubled end to his second Chelsea spell last season. – “There are some managers that the last time they won a title was 10 years ago. Some of them the last time they won a title was never. The last time I won a title was one year ago, not 10 years ago or 15 years ago so if I have a lot to prove, imagine the others.” – the ‘Special One’ taking a dig at his rivals, notably Arsene Wenger. – “Manchester United for many years success was just routine and in this moment the last three years are to forget. I want the players to forget. I don’t want the players to think we have to do better and finish fourth. Finishing fourth is not the aim.” – ...

English champions Leicester City are set to break their record transfer fee for the second time in a matter of days by buying Nigerian international attacking midfielder Ahmed Musa on Wednesday, his agent told the BBC on Monday. The 23-year-old, who scored a brace for Nigeria in a 3-2 defeat of Lionel Messi’s Argentina at the 2014 World Cup, will see his present side Russian outfit CSKA Moscow receive £16.6m ($22.1m, €19.8m) – a record outlay for Leicester. “Everything has been finalised and Musa will be in England for his medical on Wednesday,” Musa’s agent Tony Harris told  BBC Sport. Musa and Sunday’s signing former France Under-21 midfielder Nampalys Mendy, who joined from Ligue 1 side Nice on a four-year deal for a club record at the time of £13m, will bolster the Foxes squad for a tilt at the Champions League. Musa’s soon to be former coach Leonid Slutsky said the Nigerian – who scored 53 goals in 161 matches for CSKA since joining them in 2012 – would be ideal f...

Pep Guardiola has warned his Manchester City players that they have to prove themselves all over again following his arrival at the club. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach was making his first public appearance as City handler on Sunday in front of thousands of fans at a festival held at their Academy Stadium. The Spaniard is already familiar with the players he is inheriting, having faced his new club in Champions League contests in two of his three seasons at Bayern Munich. In addition, the new manager has also been able to glean information on the squad from director of football Txiki Begiristain, a close friend going back to their days together as Barcelona players. Guardiola has also moved quickly to bring in new talent, signing German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund for £20million and Spain winger Nolito from Celta Vigo for £13.8million. But he insists that all of his players are starting with a clean slate – regardless of what they have...

Brazil’s government will hand out nine million condoms for free around Rio de Janeiro during the Olympics in August, a push meant to encourage safe sex and also defend the Amazon rainforest. Rio’s local Olympic organising committee said about 450,000 of the sustainably-produced condoms would be destined for athletes and staff housed in the Olympic Village. The rest will be made widely available to the many visitors who will be arriving in the city in just a few weeks, the Health Ministry said. All the condoms to be distributed are produced by Natex, a factory in the western Amazonian state of Acre, deep in the rainforest near Brazil’s border with Bolivia. The factory, run by the Acre state government, uses latex gathered from Amazon rubber trees by tappers who are employed by a government-run program designed to protect their traditional livelihood, foster sustainable use of the rainforest and deter illegal loggers. The tappers see themselves as guardians of the rainfore...

Argentina head coach Gerardo Martino announced his resignation on Tuesday, deepening the chaos in the frustrated squad a month before the Olympics after its star striker Lionel Messi also quit. In a statement published by the Argentina Football Association, Martino said he and his coaching staff quit due to management disputes in the association and difficulties in getting the squad together in time for the Olympics. The blow came less than two weeks after Messi said he was quitting following defeat to Chile in the Copa America Centenario — which sparked demonstrations by fans desperate for him to stay. The crisis in the national squad laid bare managerial squabbles in the AFA that are blamed for disrupting the organization of Argentina’s favorite sport. Martino’s decision was “due to the lack of clarity in the naming of new leaders for the association and the serious inconveniences in forming a squad to represent the country in the coming Olympic Games,” the statement sai...

Jose Mourinho said the Manchester United job had come at just the right time in his life and he would be targeting legend Alex Ferguson’s two Champions League trophies. The 53-year-old self-anointed ‘special one’ — who replaced the sacked Louis van Gaal as united boss at the end of last season — was facing the media on Tuesday for the first time since taking the reins at Old Trafford. “I don’t hide. I chase Sir Alex’s record in Champions League matches,” said the Portuguese. The former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Porto boss added the departure last weekend of United icon Ryan Giggs was because the Welshman hadn’t got the job he wanted — namely his. Mourinho’s eyes are firmly fixed on re-establishing United as title challengers — after a three year hiatus under first David Moyes and then the autocratic van Gaal — and targeting the Champions League which is off United’s menu next season. He told the packed press conference, “The reality is I think it is a job eve...

Carla Bruni, 48, who is wife to former president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, 61, was asked what her reaction will be if her husband were to be unfaithful. Monsieur Nicolas could be in danger of losing his ears if he doesn't listen to his wife. The former first lady jokingly said: 'I could do extreme gestures, like cut his throat or his ears when he's asleep for example. 'I think you should avoid to cheat if you can, it's too dangerous. It's a road to a break up.  'Also, fidelity, this is a sine qua non (essential) condition for a wedding, I guess. Why cheat and lie whereas you have the possibility to choose your life, get married or not, have kids or not.' Bruni who made a name for herself as a model and singer married Sarkozy in 2008, months after he split from his second wife, Cecilia.

The Niger Delta Avengers on Monday night dealt another blow to the nation’s oil sector by blowing up two manifolds operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company at Batan Community in Warri South West Council Area of Delta State. Two other trunk lines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in the area were also destroyed by the militant group. Also, an oil well operated by Chevron Nigeria Limited at Makaraba village of Gbaramatu Kingdom was attacked last night. Sources identified the oil well as Chevron well 10. The Batan attacks were carried out at about 10:35pm and 11:20pm on Monday night. It was gathered that of Chevron took place at a similar time. Details of the incidents are sketchy but military and community sources confirmed the attacks. More to follow…

The Philippines has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-graft war, promising to assist Nigeria in every way possible. The Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of the Philippines, Mr. Jose Cabrera III, said this during an interview with our correspondent shortly after the Independence Day celebration of the Philippines. He said, “The Philippines and Nigeria share common ground on many of these issues and concerns: Security, social development and economic advancement are areas where partnership and cooperation have the greatest potential. “The Philippines supports the Nigerian government’s efforts at eradicating corruption, diversifying its economy, diversifying its economy and terrorism. “The Philippines also recognises the important role of Nigeria in the West African region and the African continent as well as its importance and potential as an emerging economy.” The envoy said since Nigeria and the Philippines established bilateral, diplomatic and trade relations in August...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday condemned the Monday suicide bombing which occurred on Islam’s second holiest city, Madinah, Saudi Arabia. He described those responsible for the attacks as merchants of evil. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President condoled with Saudi authorities over the attack, saying the development was a desecration of all that was sacred and holy as it took place near the Prophet’s Mosque, and on one of the holy days of Ramadan.  He said the attacks had again shown that terrorism was not about religion.   Buhari said, “The merchants of evil have once again shown that there is nothing religious in their mindless acts, by striking near the Prophet’s Mosque.  “It validates the claim that terrorism really has nothing to do with Islam. Purveyors of terror are simply agents of the devil. “The fact that the Madinah bombing came the same day as a suicide bomber struck near the US ...

President Muhammadu Buhari again on Tuesday promised that he would not relent in his administration’s ongoing anti-corruption war. He said he would deploy all appropriate and legal measures to rid the country of graft. Buhari made the promise in his Eid el-Fitr message to Nigerians. The message personally signed by the President was made available to journalists on Tuesday. “Let me also use this opportunity to reaffirm that we will not relent in the fight against corruption and we will ensure that all appropriate and legal measures are deplored to root out this malaise,” the President promised. Buhari who said he was aware of the difficulties Nigerians are going through, commended what he called their amazing sacrifices in the face of the temporary economic and social challenges. He reassured them that his administration is working assiduously towards providing basic needs and other amenities. The President also commended the Armed Forces and other security agencies ...

President Recep Erdogan of Turkey on Tuesday felicitated with Muslims in Nigeria on the occasion of this year’s Eid el-Fitr. Erdogan conveyed his goodwill message in a telephone conversation he had with President Muhammadu Buhari earlier on Tuesday, according to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina. Adesina quoted Erdogan, whose country recently suffered terror attack at the Atartuk Airport, as rejoicing with Nigerians on the successful completion of this year’s Ramadan fast despite whatever distractions. Buhari had, last week, in a letter written to the Turkish President, commiserated with him and the  people of Turkey in the wake of the bombings at the Ataturk airport in Turkey. The President had described the incident as a “horrific attack on their soil by evil forces who have nothing to do with Islam despite their warped beliefs.”

The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, on Tuesday went through to the semi-finals of the 2016 Wimbledon Tennis Championships to set up prospects of an all-Williams final. Five-time champion Venus Williams reached the semi-finals for the first time since 2009 with victory over Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova earlier in the day. Eighth seed Venus – at 36 the oldest Grand Slam semi-finalist for 22 years – beat unseeded Shvedova 7-6 (7-5), 6-3. Top seed Serena later beat Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-4 In Thursday’s semis, Serena will take on Russia’s Elena Vesnina, while Venus will take on Germany’s Angelique Kerber. “We don’t really talk too much about it (playing against each other in the final), but we are playing doubles later. So, we are just happy to be in the semi-finals,” Serena said after her match. But she acknowledged that it would be great to have the match. “Venus is such a tough opponent I want her to win so bad – not in the final if I am there,...

Snoop Dogg, the rap superstar and outspoken marijuana aficionado, will perform in support of Hillary Clinton on the sidelines of the Democratic Party convention later this month. Snoop Dogg will headline a “convention unity party” in Philadelphia on July 28, a day after Clinton is expected to accept the presidential nomination. Three so-called political action committees that spend on behalf of Democratic candidates — Priorities USA Action, Senate Majority PAC and House Majority PAC — on Tuesday jointly announced the show which will take place at the Electric Factory, a concert venue with a capacity of up to 3,000. The three groups also announced a show earlier in the convention week that will feature Los Lobos, the pioneering Mexican American rockers best known for their 1987 cover of “La Bamba.” Snoop Dogg, who has sold more than 35 million albums, had his start in Southern California’s gangsta rap scene but has since branched out into more mellow sounds including ...

World Champions Germany took on Italy in an attempt to beat their boggy team for the first time in last 8 matches in major tournaments. Both teams had good chance to take the lead in opening first 45 minutes but overall it was a very underwhelming performance from both sides which will only suit Italy. However Ozil strike in second half put Germany in lead and just when it looked like they are dominating and will see it through Italy equalized via penalty when Boeteng handled the ball inside the box. Both teams failed to score winning goal leading to penalties where Germans held their nerves to win the battle 6-5 and qualify for their sixth successive major tournament semifinal. Germany 1-1 Italy Highlights  [ European Championship 2016 Quarterfinal ] 65′ 1 – 0 Mesut Oezil scored with a neat finish after Hector’s deflected cross found a way into the box. 78′ 1 – 1 (penalty) Leonardo Bonucci scores with a stunning penalty to beat worlds best keeper in Manuel Neuer.

His role can’t be underappreciated in Italy’s winning campaign in FIFA World Cup 2006. He is 38 and plans to play the next world cup in 2018 at Russia and he may as well realize his plans if he remains fit as his age has yet to show any impact on his performances. But it will be a long shot for him to stay till the Euro 2020 so this might be the last European Championship for this veteran. #2.  Andres Iniesta He first surfaced as a child prodigy who had everyone jumping at their seats at the prospects of seeing him represent Spain one day. One of the wizards who architected Spain’s World Cup victory in 2010 through their dazzling spells of eye catching football, Iniesta hinted that this might have been his last Euro Cup after Spain succumbed to Italy in the Last-16. Just last Euro Cup, he had had his hands on the player of the tournament award and it is almost gut wrenching to perceive the next Euro Cup without him. #3.  Bastian Schweinsteiger The only appearan...